


I Am Coming, Trust Me

by casey26334



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-20
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-11-26 03:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 84,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/646168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casey26334/pseuds/casey26334
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry begins to hear a familiar voice while at the Durlsey's for the summer... it promises to protect him, promises that it is coming for him. It makes him feel safe, so it has to have been sent by Dumbledore, right? Non-canon, occurs on different timeline than JKR's books. COMPLETE.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: After rereading elfinmyth's story "Visitor", I realized this chapter is similar enough to be questionable. I by no means intended to steal his/her ideas, so, I'm linking her AWESOME story to you all. Check it out at- fanfiction.net/s/6313306/1/Visitor

It was another lonely evening in the dark bedroom. Harry Potter lay upon his small bed nursing another round of bruises and cuts from another row with his obtuse uncle. It was just another summer spent dealing with his  _family._

Another, another, another.

It felt like it would never end.

Harry would spend some nights dreaming of what it would be like when he would finally be of age and be free of his simple-minded family. Dreamed of what it would be like to never have to return to this god-forsaken house.

Harry knew he had a long way to go before he reached that haven though. It was currently the summer between his second and third years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and he had barely been at his uncle and aunt's home for 24 hours before he had been beaten and bruised. It was never enough to draw suspicion from people, never enough to make people question the wellbeing of the young boy those few times a summer he was actually allowed out of the house.

Often when Harry's quick temper flared he would be on the receiving end of punishments, which often included being physically hit. Not to mention the almost constant yelling and reprimands.

Harry let out a sigh as he rubbed at the new blue and black bruise forming on his forearm. That was the least of his worries though as he was fairly certain an unexpected shove by Dudley onto the stairway had bruised his ribs earlier.

The black haired boy glanced at the alarm clock- 1:31 am. The house was silent as he sat up in bed- finally giving up on attempting to sleep.

_Harry…_

The boy looked around. Not sure he had heard anything at all. He listened to the silent house.

Ignoring it, Harry winced as he situated himself on the small bed, wrapping the one thin blanket he had been provided around his shoulders. His bedroom was always so cold. He often wondered if Vernon had done something to make his bedroom the coldest in the house. He now sat cross-legged on the bed with his back upon the wall. He let out another sigh and closed his eyes, hoping to relax enough to become tired.

He thought about his friends at Hogwarts- primarily Ron and Hermione of course. He wondered what they had been doing over the summer. Harry smirked as he pictured Ron with the rest of the Weasleys sitting around their kitchen table, trying to yell over one another to be heard. Ron, Fred, and George had probably been spending their days playing Quidditch, while Harry was certain that Hermione had barely lifted her head from her textbooks over the past month. Harry chuckled.

_Harry…_

His eyes snapped open. Ok, he definitely heard it this time. Harry quickly looked around his room… the voice was much louder and clearer than the first time, like it was getting closer. Harry's ears strained to listen to what was happening in the rest of the house. Silence. There was no way anyone in the house was calling for him.

Harry wrapped the pitiful green and brown blanket tighter around him. He kept his eyes open this time and felt almost expectant. He thought of last summer when Ron and the twins had rescued him in the Ford Anglia.

"Please come for me, please come for me," Harry quietly whispered to the room. Harry wanted desperately to be rid of his uncle, aunt, and cousin for one more summer.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room rose. Harry could instantly feel the change in the air. It was like a warm heated blanket, much unlike the one he was currently wrapped in, was enclosed around him. Harry tensed for a moment, waiting to hear another voice or noise, and almost expected a red head to pop up in the window. After a few moments of silence Harry's shoulders slumped. 'Something must be wrong with the thermostat,' he thought. Either way, it was a relief to not have to sit and shiver for once.

Harry closed his eyes again, feeling more comfortable as his normally tense muscles unclenched in the strange and unexpected warmth. He felt suddenly relaxed… unnaturally so as he was alert and listening just a few moments ago.

A few minutes passed with Harry resting his head on the wall, enjoying the calm feeling and slowly becoming tired. He felt pressure on his bruised arm.

Harry jumped, startled. It felt like someone had touched him.

_Calm down child…_

It took a moment for Harry's eyes to readjust to the darkness, but he saw no one in the blackness.

"What the-"

Harry was certain he could hear a voice. But it wasn't the voice of anyone in the house, nor was it the voice of Dudley or his uncle or aunt. This voice was… different. He felt the pressure on his arm again.

"Who are you?!" Harry blurted out in his shock, snatching his arm away from the feeling. Harry scooted down the bed, leaving the blanket behind, farther away from whatever was touching him.

_Child… trust me_.

'Trust you?!' Harry thought. Harry no longer felt alone, he could feel  _something_  in the room with him. He desperately wished his uncle had not locked his wand up for the summer.

_Trust me,_ the voice soothed. There was something about that voice, like Harry had heard it before, but this time it was so… different. It was calm, relaxing, and something about it lured Harry in, even while his brain was screaming ' _danger'_  in his ear. As it often did, Harry's curiosity won out over his common sense.

Harry sat still, waiting. Suddenly he felt the light pressure on his forearm again and this time he kept himself from jumping. Harry looked to his side but still saw nothing but his pillow lying innocently on the bed. Unexpectedly his arm felt warm, similarly to how the room now felt. A strange feeling reverberated through his forearm and lingered for only a few moments before disappearing. The pressure released and Harry raised his arm and squinted into the darkness. The black bruise was gone. Harry lightly pressed his other hand into his forearm, expecting to feel sudden pain but nothing came.

_Do you see? Trust me._

Harry's senses now came to him. "Who are you?" he quietly asked again to the room, trying to keep his voice down so as to not wake anyone in the house. There was no reply. "Really, who are you?!"

_I think you know, young one…_

"What?!" Harry most definitely did  _not_ know what this strange presence was that had invited itself into his room without invitation. "I don't know who you are."

No answer.

Harry sighed, slightly frustrated. What was going on?

"Why are you here? What's going on? How did you even get in here? My aunt and uncle are right down the hall and if you wake-"

_Hush child, so many questionsss…_

That hiss. Did the voice just hiss? Why did it sound so familiar?

Harry felt pressure on his forehead, sliding his hair to the side.

"What the- stop!" he whispered as he swatted at air.

_You will be free of your family soon…_

Harry stopped at hearing this. "Huh? What do you mean?"

_I am coming for you._

"What?!"

_I am coming._

"Who are you?"

_You will soon be protected._

Harry waited expectantly for the voice to continue, to explain these riddles.

"Would you just please tell me what's going on?"

Harry listened but only heard silence. He sat and waited, expecting to feel the voice touch him again, not that he really  _minded_ , it had healed his arm after all. The voice was surprisingly soothing, and it  _was_  talking about protecting him. Maybe Dumbledore had sent it… sent it to heal him, to give him hope.

Harry suddenly felt very tired, and soon he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He slowly lay back down upon his bed, still hoping for an answer from the voice. The voice had to be from Dumbledore, it made him feel safe. Harry's head lay upon his pillow as his eyes slowly closed shut. Just before he fell into unconsciousness he felt the familiar warm sensation in his ribs. He smiled slightly as he knew the voice was healing him. It would protect him. He knew it.

_Soon, my little snake._


	2. Chapter 2

Six days had passed and Harry had yet to hear the voice again, he began questioning if it was all a dream. But no, the touch of the voice had been real, he knew it. When the voice touched him it was… he couldn't describe it. Comforting, yes, but also so much more. It was a touch that he couldn't remember… a caring, protective touch, one he knew he had received from his parents so many years ago. The only time he was ever touched now was violently. Constantly pushed, pulled, shoved, hit. Nothing was ever gentle… soothing.

Harry thought about the voice every day, and hoped and prayed that it would return. He wanted to hear it again so badly, so much so that he felt… addicted. He  _yearned_  for it, for the comfort. It was the only hope he had, the hope that Dumbledore hadn't forgotten about him.

Today was one of the few days during the summer that Harry was allowed to accompany the Dursley's out of the house. He wasn't entirely sure where they were going as Vernon had only shouted up the stairs for him to get dressed and that they were leaving. Worrying over wearing the appropriate attire wasn't an issue as Harry only had a handful of Dudley's old outfits to wear.

Harry sighed as he tightened the belt around the pants that would forever be too large on his small thin body. He hated going out with the Dursley's just as much as he hated being left in the house all summer long. Trying to flatten his hair, he marched down the steps.

"Let's go." Vernon snapped as he roughly yanked Harry by the arm down the last two steps and out the door. Petunia was already in the car waiting when Vernon shoved Harry into the backseat.

"Is Dudley not coming?" Harry asked as innocently as possible, trying not to earn a yell.

"No." Vernon simply said before putting the car in reverse and backing out of the tiny driveway.

The car was silent as they rode, Harry looking out the window and enjoying the chance to see the town. After ten minutes they pulled up in front of Dudley's school and Harry couldn't help but be surprised. Why were they here? Especially without Dudley? During his thoughts, Harry hadn't realized that his aunt and uncle had already exited the car.

"What are you doing boy?! GET OUT!" Vernon yelled, hitting the glass window of the car door where Harry sat. Harry jolted and practically pulled the handle off the door trying to get out quickly. He really didn't want a beating today.

They walked inside and Harry stood out of the way while Petunia spoke with the lady at the front desk. They were led through the hallways and into a classroom and Harry was quietly and quickly instructed by his uncle to sit in one of the desks.

"Now boy, you listen to me. I expect you to sit here,  _silently_ , while Petunia and I converse with Dudley's teacher. You make  _one_ peep and I swear I will hit you so hard when we get home that you won't be able to see straight for a week. You understand?" Vernon growled lowly.

Harry quickly nodded his head. He hated how submissive he was forced to be during the summer, he was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake! He should be standing up to his uncle! But he knew he had no choice but to stay with them during the summer… he couldn't run… he couldn't stand up for himself. He had to suffer with it for only a few more years…. 'Only a few more years' Harry thought while he rubbed his prickling forehead.

A few minutes passed while Petunia and Vernon- who had somehow managed to squeeze himself into one of the desks- sat in silence. Suddenly the door burst open and an older woman, probably in her sixties Harry guessed, entered.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley I presume?" She asked. She looked a bit befuddled, hair and glasses both slightly askew. She looked like the kind of older woman who lived alone and owned about seven too many cats. Harry had to keep himself from laughing at the woman.

Pleasantries were exchanged before the woman, who introduced herself as Miss Thompson, one of the English teachers here at the school, looked suspiciously at Harry.

"Oh, forgive our rudeness," Vernon spoke quickly, "This is Harry, our nephew. His mother and father were killed many years ago and we took him in. We apologize for having to bring him to this meeting, but he has promised to be quiet and will not be a distraction" Vernon finished with a pointed look at Harry. Miss Thompson looked slightly taken aback at the overly informative introduction of Harry, but then gave him a pitiful look.

The meeting continued, the three adults conversing about Dudley and something about him wanting to sign up for an advanced class the upcoming year. Harry ignored the conversation.

'They brought me here to show me off!' Harry thought, somehow slightly astounded. 'Bring the poor pathetic little boy who lost his parents in to earn sympathy points… this is why Vernon hasn't punished me in the past few days, he didn't want me covered in bruises'. Harry bristled, he truly could not stand his unfortunate family. 'Show me off as the sad little boy that you took in out of the kindness of your hearts…' Harry took a deep breath, trying unsuccessfully to control his anger. He wanted nothing more than to beat every single one of the Dursley's over the head.

During his mental tirade, Harry had not noticed the swirl of magic in the air. His magic. Petunia stumbled over her words for a moment, feeling something change in the atmosphere around them. She continued talking, not paying it much mind, but suddenly she felt her seat begin to rise.

Vernon did a double take as his wife slowly rose into the air, his eyes comically wide. "What- what the-".

Hearing the pause in conversation, Harry's mind came back into focus just in time to see the desk his aunt was currently sitting in, rise into the air before unceremoniously and unexpectedly flipping itself over. Petunia fell to the ground with a surprisingly loud thud for a woman so thin. Miss Thompson jumped from her seat, shocked, but nonetheless offering her hand to Petunia as the desk returned to the ground.

Harry sat, eyes wide, knowing what had happened. He let his magic go uncontrolled- again! As his eyes turned towards his uncle, he knew this was bad. Vernon was standing there, face red, trying to control his bull-like panting. Harry saw out of the corner of his eyes his aunt being helped to her feet by Miss Thompson, who looked shocked and confused. Before Harry had time for another thought, he felt meaty hands gripping his hair.

Harry screamed out of reflex from the sharp pain. Before he could even get his feet under him, Vernon had dragged him out the classroom door, obviously not worried about his saint-like image any longer.

Harry was still trying to divest Vernon's hand from his hair when he was thrown into the backseat of the car. He heard multiple doors slam.

"WHEN WE GET HOME  **YOU ARE DEAD.** "

Harry simply lay in the seat, not even bothering to sit up. He contemplated for a moment opening the door and jumping out of the car, but at the speed his uncle was driving in his fury Harry thought better of it. The black haired boy closed his eyes, still rubbing his head trying to get the sting out. He knew this would be bad when they reached home. Really bad.

* * *

Harry lay once more in his tiny bed, silent tears falling down his face. Harry thought back to the moment he was sure his uncle was truly going to kill him, and closed his eyes tightly as fresh tears sprang from his eyes. He hadn't meant to do anything during the meeting, he really hadn't, but once again his anger got the best of him. Harry turned his head into his flat pillow, he wouldn't think about it, it had happened before and it had happened again- he had lost control of his magic. It was worse this time, as Vernon and Petunia had obviously been trying to impress the teacher- what was her name again? Either way, it wasn't just an accident that had happened at home behind closed doors. This was at Dudley's school, where no doubt the Dursley's meeting would be the talk of the remainder of the summer.

Harry wanted to sit up as he had been lying down for hours now, but he knew it wasn't worth it- everything hurt. He would be sore for days, and hated to even think of how black and blue his skin was right now. Vernon had done- no, Harry didn't want to think about it. Harry thought back to the last time this happened, the last time he had laid in bed, bruises covering his body. Harry thought about the voice, about how it had healed him.

'When are you coming back?' he thought. He knew it had just been a dream, but how he so wished to close his eyes and feel the warm caresses of the voice once again, even if only in his dreams.

Harry finally decided he needed to move, lying in one spot was not helping his stiff muscles. He slowly, carefully lifted himself up onto his knees. He paused, taking deep breaths as he looked down onto the sheets covering the bed- they were stained with blood. Petunia wouldn't be happy about that in the morning.

When he felt ready, Harry leaned back to sit on his butt, not without groaning through the pain. He sat for a moment before opening his eyes and inspecting the damage. He was right, he was covered in black bruises. He saw cuts and scrapes along his legs, some of which were still slightly bleeding, as well as hand prints along his arms. Harry sighed and closed his eyes, not bothering to even lift his shirt to see what future scars his uncle had inflicted upon his abdomen. He kept his eyes closed, slightly enjoying the feeling of finally sitting up, and took a deep breath, not noticing at first the sudden warmth in the room.

Then he felt it. The thing he had been waiting to return for a week, Dumbledore's promise, the thing that had plagued his thoughts throughout the days. He felt it.

It gently touched his back through his thin ripped shirt, and slowly moved higher, towards his neck. Along the way the warmth spread through Harry. When it reached his neck, it paused.

"Thank you," Harry sighed. He was so relieved. He would be protected.

The voice said nothing, only moved to card its way through Harry's tangled black hair. Harry leaned into the touch, sighing.

 _You are safe…_  the voice finally spoke.

A new and sudden wave of emotion hit Harry and his sore body broke into sobs. He couldn't control it, couldn't even try to stop it. He cried and cried, trying desperately to find words.

"I—I—I don't—c-can't—hurts—h-hurts—". Harry felt the voice press in on all sides, it surrounded him completely. This brought on a new wave of uncontrollable sobs and unintelligible words. He just felt so… safe.

 _Shhhh…._  The voice soothed, but Harry continued to cry.  _Shhh… little one, you will wake them… shhh…_

The surrounding warmth pressed in closer in its embrace. Harry continued to cry, wave after wave of emotion that he was never allowed to release hit the small boy. His body shook as he cried, his knees pulled tightly to his chest and his hands covering his face. The voice continued to soothe him as he sobbed, continued to whisper comforting words into his ear.

After quite a few minutes, Harry calmed. He sat silently, trying to control his hiccups as his breathing slowed. "Thank you…" he finally managed to repeat.

_I will protect you…_

Harry swallowed the lump forming in his throat, trying not to launch into another round of tears. That's all he ever wanted, to be protected. "Why- why d-did you leave?"

The voice said nothing.

Harry sat quietly, his mind finally clear enough to think. Why did the voice promise protection, but yet allowed this to happen? Why wasn't Dumbledore keeping his promise? Why did they  _all_ leave him in this place to suffer every summer?

Harry felt tired, no, exhausted, after his episode, but he tried in vain to stay awake. If he slept, the voice would leave again. He took note of his body, which was still sore and achy, but felt much better in the warmth.

_Sleep, my little snake…_

Little snake? What an odd nickname. Harry tried, he tried so hard to stay awake, but he felt so relaxed finally. Knowing he couldn't resist, he lay down, having a flash of deja-vu from the first time the voice visited him.

"When are you coming?" Harry whispered to the darkness while fighting to keep his eyes open.

_Very soon, my little one... Very soon… I promise…_

A moment before he fell into unconsciousness, Harry was able to mutter, "Tell Dumbledore… come soon…"

Harry was instantly asleep and was not aware when the air in the room shifted from warmth, to instant tense cold. It lasted only a few moments before the warmth returned to protect the small fragile boy.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry Potter sat quietly on the floor of the Dursley's living room with his back against the sofa, silently playing with the fringe on the rug. He was trying to be as quiet as possible so as to not be sent back to his small bedroom- if he had to spend one more second in there he was going to scream. Sitting on the floor doing nothing was not exactly the most exciting thing he could think of, but it sure beat staring at the same four walls for another day.

His uncle Vernon sat in his usual chair reading the newspaper while his aunt Petunia sat knitting on the opposite end of the sofa from where Harry was sitting.

Harry raised his head as he heard Dudley running down the stairs, sounding not much unlike a horse. "Mum! Dad! I'm going down the street to meet my friends, ok?"

"Dudley, take the boy with you." Vernon said without looking up from his paper.

"What?!" Dudley and Harry said in unison, both equally shocked at the statement.

Vernon lowered his paper and looked to his son, "Take him with you. I'm tired of seeing him moping around." Harry's mouth dropped, he had barely said five words all day. No matter how he behaved, he just couldn't win.

"Dad no, please. I don't want to take him!"

"Dudley!" Vernon snapped, leaving no room for argument.

Dudley glared at Harry as he stood from his spot on the floor. Harry wasn't sure if he was relieved to finally be able to go out of the house or if he dreaded the thought of spending even a moment with Dudley and his friends. The two boys walked out of the house, Dudley slamming the door in Harry's face on the way. No, Harry would much rather sit silently on the floor all day.

They walked down Privet Drive, Dudley a few steps in front of Harry, obviously trying to ignore the boy following him- Harry didn't mind. Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he walked, _might as well enjoy being outside_ , he thought. It was a sunny summer day, not overly hot, anything was better than being cooped up inside though.

After a few minutes they came up to the neighborhood playground where Dudley's friends were waiting. "You stay here." Dudley commanded.

"What?"

"Stay here. You're not coming. Go away."

Harry stopped walking, not overly shocked that he was unwelcomed. "Fine. Hanging out with your idiotic friends isn't exactly my idea of fun anyway."

Rolling his eyes and scoffing, Dudley continued on his way towards his friends as Harry looked around. The playground was empty aside from the small waiting group in the distance. He smiled as he realized he was outside and away from all three Dursleys.  _Maybe today will be a good day_ , he thought as he decided to walk over to the swing set.

Ever since the incident at Dudley's school, life at the Dursley's had somehow gotten even worse. He was hardly ever allowed to leave his room aside from cooking and doing chores around the house. He was shocked that his aunt had allowed him to even sit with them in the living room this morning, let alone be allowed outside.  _They're probably tired of seeing me sitting around… 'Always in the way',_  Harry mocked Vernon's curt voice in his mind. _Only a month and half until I go back to Hogwarts,_  Harry thought as he sat on the rusted swing,  _I can make it._

Harry glanced over to Dudley's friends. The group of boys were sitting on a fence, seemingly trying to decide what to do. Harry rolled his eyes.  _Only a month and a half..._

Suddenly the air around Harry became cold, unnaturally cold. Harry looked toward the sky, putting his arms around himself for warmth as he was only wearing a t-shirt. Grey clouds were covering the sun… hadn't it just been perfectly clear a moment ago? Harry felt… odd, sad. But not just sad, more like suddenly swallowed by despair. It was such a sudden change of mood that it left Harry momentarily disoriented. Then the thoughts began. Images of never being allowed back to Hogwarts plagued his mind, thoughts of never seeing his friends again, of losing his magic, of dying… all underlined by complete and utter hopelessness.

It was silent in the playground as the air began to almost visibly freeze, and Harry could see his quickening breath before him. The terrified scream of a young boy abruptly echoed through the air. Harry's eyes jerked over to Dudley's friends, and Harry instantly saw it. The creature was floating above the group, rags covering its dark flowing body. A dementor.

Harry knew what it was, remembered briefly reading about it in one of his textbooks. He stood, knowing he had to do something, but at the same time feeling as though there was no point in fighting… no point in living. Harry's hand automatically reached for the wand in his pocket, but it was empty. At the start of the summer, the Dursley's had locked all of Harry's magical and school-related belongings up in the attic. He was weaponless.

Harry looked back to the boys. Dudley and two of the others stood there, mouths open, just staring, too afraid to even move. One boy, Harry noticed, had actually turned and was running as hard as he could back towards the street, frantically looking back over his shoulder every few seconds. The dementor was now focused on one boy and Harry could see its dark mouth opening, he knew what was coming.

Even without his wand, even though he could feel every bit of courage and fight in him being sucked away with every step, he ran towards the other boys. He had to do something, he knew what would happen to them, and possibly even him, if he didn't.

As he ran, he heard a slow rattling sound closing in behind him. Harry turned instantly and was soon face to face with one of the foulest creatures on earth. He stood still, staring at death, suddenly not having any desire to fight or run. It was as though he had instantly forgotten all the laughs he had enjoyed with his friends, the feel of the wind as he rode his broom, how it felt when he first picked up his wand…. all of it. Gone.

Suddenly a scream pierced through the air. The scream of a woman.

Harry's knees buckled, his hands covering his ears as the scream continued on. It sounded... familiar. As if Harry had heard it long ago but had since forgotten…

Suddenly, there were voices. Voices, shouts, screams that reverberated throughout Harry's body.

_Lily, take Harry and go! It's him!_

Harry could hear the rattling breathing getting louder.

_Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!_

_Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!_

Hands still covering his ears, desperately trying to block out the sounds, Harry could hear someone in the distance screaming… in the back of his mind he vaguely registered that it was his own scream.

Harry's body was ice cold. He was aware of nothing aside from the people shouting in his head and the cold rattling breaths of the creature above him.

_I'll hold him off!_

He could literally feel the life being pulled away from his body, knew that there was nothing left to do but wait until it was over… wait until the blackness and misery overtook him. He let go. Harry Potter lay shaking in the dirt, eyes closed, hands over his ears.

_Please… have mercy… have mercy…_

"No…" he moaned. When was it going to end?

_Please… have mercy… have mercy…_

_Avada Kedavra!_

Harry started screaming again as a flash of green overtook him. He felt something touch him. Something unnaturally warm in the frozen air surrounding him. Harry's ears were ringing and he was only loosely aware of something lifting him.

"Harry…"

Harry felt nothing but numbness, only heard the desperate cries of the woman echoing in his body.

But somewhere, somewhere deep in his mind, he knew he was safe. Protected.

"Hush little one, I am here."


	4. Chapter 4

Hours, days, or minutes could have passed as Harry repeatedly fell in and out of consciousness. For those short moments when he knew he was awake he didn't know where he was. Once he tried desperately to open his eyes but was repeatedly unsuccessful. It was as if his body refused to listen. He was exhausted and all his shocked body seemed to want to do was to fall back asleep and hide from the world. Harry whimpered, feeling confused and frightened, and felt something around him tighten. He was suddenly aware that he was being held. Whatever was holding him felt so warm… flashes of the frigid air attacked his mind. Half awake, Harry snuggled into the warmth, desperately trying to ward off thoughts of the attack… thoughts of the woman screaming. He buried his head into the warmth in an attempt to fight the cold that he could feel creeping back into his body.

* * *

The next time Harry woke, he was slightly more aware of his surroundings. He could hear sibilant hissing around him as he opened his eyes for a brief moment before they forced themselves shut once more. He moaned, feeling exhausted and sore. The hissing stopped. "Shhhh…." A voice said to him. Harry perked up for just a moment before falling asleep once more, almost certain he recognized the voice.

* * *

Harry was sitting against a stone wall, eyes closed. He felt at peace, just relaxing against the stone, his thoughts quiet. Then he heard it. The rattling breaths that instantly shook him from his reverie. His eyes popped open but he saw nothing. He closed his eyes quickly before opening them again. Blackness. Why couldn't he see? The breaths were quiet, as if they were from a distance, but Harry could hear them slowly becoming louder… coming closer. Harry tried to stand up but found that he couldn't move his upper body. Becoming frantic in the darkness, he used his legs to try to push himself upwards, but his upper body seemed frozen against the wall. The breathing was becoming louder and Harry started screaming.

"HELP ME! SOMEBODY! HELP ME!"

The stone wall was becoming colder by the second, the rattling growing nearer. Harry screwed his eyes closed in the darkness in an instinctual effort to fend off what was coming for him.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME! PLEASE!

Aside from the rattling there was silence. No one was coming. Harry continued to fight to stand, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Why couldn't he move?!

"Harry…"

His eyes shot open. Somebody was out there! "HELP ME!"

"Harry!"

Harry shook now, both from terror and from the all-consuming cold. That's when Harry saw it in the near distance… a dementor, just as dreadful and terrifying as it had been in the playground. It was coming closer.

"PLEASE!" Harry desperately shouted into the darkness, the dementor almost within reach now.

"HARRY!" Someone shouted, panicked. The wall behind him vanished and he was suddenly able to move. He clamored backwards, desperately trying to get away from the dementor.

"NNOOOOOO!" he screamed and covered his eyes with his hands in a childish attempt at escape. He was hyperventilating, absolutely terrified. Something touched him.

Harry's entire body lurched forward and he fell, landing on the ground with a thud. He stood again in an attempt to run, only to take a few steps and trip over his own quivering legs.

He lay on the stone ground, legs curled into his body, arms covering his head. He began sobbing.

"P-please don't hurt me… ple-ease. I'm sorry, please d-don't hurt me!"

' _Master… what's wrong with him?'_

' _I- I don't know, Nagini.'_

Cowering on the ground, tears running down his face, Harry had never been so terrified in his life.

"H-Harry…" The boy hardly heard his name above his sobs.

"Help… me…" he whimpered.

A few moments passed.

_Harry…. little one…._

Harry jumped. Was that…?

_Hush…. Shhh…._

The voice! It had come for him! Dumbledore had come for him! Timidly, Harry's eyes opened. It was no longer dark, Harry blinked through the tears that were still falling. He was lying on a rug in an unknown place, no longer caught in the darkness… no longer staring into the face of a dementor.

There was silence in the room… but he was sure he had heard…

Still breathing heavily from fear and crying, he pushed himself up onto his side and quickly looked around the strange place. He had heard the voice, he was sure of it. It had saved him… again.

_Harry?_  He heard the voice louder and clearer than ever, even felt its presence… as if right behind him.

Harry Potter turned over, half raised onto his elbows. Emerald eyes locked with crimson.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is going over the events from Chapters 3&4, but from Voldemort's POV. I know some of you guys are dying to see how Harry reacts to who 'the voice' actually is… so please don't hate me for postponing it. Normally italicized words are 'the voice', but for this chapter they are Voldemort's thoughts unless otherwise specified.

"- so as you can see our effort to control the Ministry is going well, My Lord."

Voldemort had stopped listening long ago to Rabastan's ramblings… sweet Salazar that man could talk. With his elbow propped upon the arm rest of his chair, Voldemort rubbed his temple. Sometimes he wondered if he could have finished this war long ago if he had not had to rely on his Death Eaters.

The room was silent, everyone present waiting for Voldemort to respond. "My Lord?" Rabastan spoke timidly, afraid to anger the Dark Lord.

"Rabastan," Voldemort spoke with an exasperated sigh, not looking up, "was it truly necessary to take  _that_ long to inform me that things are going well?"

The room full of Death Eaters was silent for a moment. "I- I'm sorry My Lord. I just-"

"Crucio" Voldemort said almost uninterested, wand pointed at the cowering man. Eyes closed, still rubbing his head, Voldemort listened to the cries of the man. Nothing could relieve stress like a good Crucio.

Then something in him changed. He felt panicked. But it wasn't him exactly, it felt detached, but deep down he knew something was wrong. Voldemort's head shot up and he broke the curse. That feeling… he knew who it came from.

An echo of concerned 'My Lord?'s filled the room at his sudden change in behavior. Voldemort's inner circle was all present, sitting on either side of a long dark table in Voldemort's manor. Each person looked alarmed, some even grabbing their wands, they knew something was wrong.

The feeling inside Voldemort increased, quickly turning into terror. He stood quickly, almost knocking his chair over in the process. "Everyone out. Now." He said, and without looking to see if they obeyed, he turned on the spot and apparated.

* * *

When the world returned to normal Voldemort looked around him quickly. He was standing on the sidewalk of a slightly familiar muggle town. He quickly cast an invisibility charm on himself, chastising himself for not doing it before he had apparated.  _The boy makes me do stupid things!_ He saw a panicked boy running in the opposite direction, looking over his shoulder, seemingly desperate to get away from the area.

The air was icy around him and instinctually he knew what foul creature was lurking nearby. He turned quickly and was looking at a playground. He saw a group of boys standing frozen, staring up into the unforgiving mouth of a dementor. He saw someone else, another young boy, standing from his place on the swing set. Harry.  _His_  Harry.

Harry started searching his pockets for something but came up empty.  _His wand,_ Voldemort thought. Even without his wand, Harry took off running towards the other boys.

"HARRY!" Voldemort shouted without thinking.  _Bloody Gryffindor!_

He kept running. Voldemort prepared himself to apparate in front of the boy when he saw it. Another dementor, going straight towards Harry. Harry must have heard it coming, for he stopped running and immediately turned… he started screaming.

He fell to his knees, hands covering his ears, the dementor closing in. It had all happened so fast that Voldemort still stood on the road, watching it all unfold. He quickly apparated to the boy's side, wand pointed at the beast. He hadn't casted a patronus in decades…

The Dark Lord didn't fail at anything, he was much too arrogant. He closed his eyes, deep down knowing this was likely impossible, but tried to conjure up happy thoughts anyway.

Voldemort looked into his past.  _The orphanage, no no no. Hogwarts… bloody Dumbledore. Killing, torture… not happy enough. Murdering my muggle father… turning Marvolo's ring into a horcrux._

A small spot of light lit at the end of Voldemort's bone wand.

_Horcruxes. Immortality. Killing Harry's parents… losing power._

The light died.

_Harry…_

The wand lit again.

_Being with Harry. Healing him, protecting him… protecting Harry._

The light grew stronger.

_Ruling the Wizard and Muggle worlds…_

Voldemort pictured himself, filled with power, people bowing before him, Harry standing at his side. With the slightest of smiles, Voldemort shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

A ghostly white light flew from the end of his wand straight into the dementor. Voldemort opened his eyes and watched as the light and dark fought. He was slightly pleased that his patronus was now a baskilisk, but Harry's scream broke through his thoughts.

He turned and looked to the weak boy on the ground who was still holding his head in his hands, shaking. Voldemort knelt down and touched him gently, hoping not to scare him even more. The boy seemed to not even feel it, so Voldemort put his hands under the small body and lifted him into his arms.

"Harry…" he said, trying to let the boy know he was safe. "Hush little one, I am here."

Voldemort took a quick look behind him, back to where the other group of boys had been attacked. Not caring about the others, he sought out Harry's piggish cousin. He saw the body lying on the ground lifeless, the other dementor sucking the last bit of life and soul Dudley Dursley had from his body.

Voldemort smirked, silently rejoicing that the boy who had tortured his Harry for so long had met a violent end. Oh how Voldemort longed for the day he could unleash his retaliation on Harry's uncle and aunt.

Voldemort looked to the limp boy in his arms and turned on the spot.

* * *

They were standing outside of his manor now, safely away from anything that could harm the fragile boy in his arms. Voldemort started walking towards the large grey mansion. He heard Harry whimper and held him closer, tighter. The young boy froze for only a moment before snuggling deeper into Voldemort's chest, hiding his face in the black robes.

Voldemort walked through the halls, heading towards his rooms. There were many guest rooms that, when needed, the Death Eaters stayed in at times, but Voldemort passed them and made his way up a flight of stairs.

He looked to the dark haired boy again, relishing in the fact that he finally had Harry with him, that he had finally gotten him away from both the Dursley's and Dumbledore. He knew it would take a long time for Harry to accept this new way of life though, but whether the boy came willingly or not, Voldemort would never allow Harry to be taken from him again… he was too important.

Voldemort walked into a large bedroom, heading straight for the bed.

' _Master! Is that the snakeling?'_

Voldemort smirked at the phrase as he laid Harry gently onto the large bed.

' _Yes Nagini, this is him.'_

Voldemort spied his familiar making her way to the bed from where she had been resting near the warm fireplace. The large snake slithered up the bedpost and onto the green silk sheets.

' _Be careful Nagini, he is weak. You know he is not to be harmed.'_

' _Yes Master',_ the snake hissed as she neared the limp body. Her master had spoken so long of this boy! She could feel the pleasure radiating off the tall man. She reached Harry's face and, heeding her Master's orders to be gentle, softly stuck her tongue out and brushed against the boy's skin. He tasted of fear… great fear…. and, and something else, something that shocked the snake.

' _He, he tastes of you Master!'_

Voldemort looked curiously down towards the snake. ' _What?'_

' _He tastes like you! Is he your snakeling?'_

' _No Nagini… I think-'_ Voldemort stopped speaking. Could Nagini possibly be sensing the horcrux? ' _What else does he taste like?'_

' _Fear, Master. He was very frightened… I, I think he still is.'_

At that, Harry moaned, slightly moving his weak body.

"Shhh…." Voldemort said, knowing the boy was nowhere near ready to awaken. His body needed rest, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

Voldemort snapped his fingers and a house elf appeared.

"Tippy, get me some chocolate. The best you can find, and lots of it."

"Yes Master! Tippy will get that right away for Master!" the female elf said hastily before disappearing.

Sitting himself down upon the edge of the bed, Voldemort looked back to the now sleeping boy.

' _He is small Master…'_ Nagini said, slithering up and around on the pillow Harry's head was lying on.

' _Yes, very small. You need to be very careful with him Nagini, he is not strong like me, you can easily hurt him.'_ Voldemort said, trying to emphasize that the massive snake could easily kill Harry, even by accident. There had been a few times, often when she was either very excited or angry, that Nagini had even wrapped around Voldemort too tightly, close to injuring him. She was an animal after all and had a tendency to not think before she acted.

Nagini had slithered all the way around Harry, so that her body encompassed his. Voldemort grew worried.  _Did I not just tell her to be careful?_ Sometimes having the snake around was like taking care of a child- she was completely stubborn and Voldemort often found him repeating himself.

' _Nagini what did I say? I don't think you should-'_

' _I will protect him, not hurt him'._ She interrupted with slight annoyance, bothered that her Master had no faith in her. ' _I want to keep him safe,'_ she added as she curled in on the boy,  _'Smells like Master…'_

Voldemort shook his head, knowing that while the snake was a hassle, he could trust her. She knew how important Harry was. Voldemort wondered if it was her loyalty to him, her female instincts, or the connection between her horcrux and Harry's that made her want to protect him so.

It was then that Tippy popped back into the room, arms full of small boxes. "I have chocolates for Master sir. Lots of chocolate."

"Put them on the bedside table and leave." Voldemort said without paying the creature much mind, she was a house elf after all. He heard the elf setting the boxes down behind him and then leaving the room with a pop.

Voldemort could hear Nagini, whose body completely surrounded Harrys, talking to the boy.

' _Little snakeling will be ok. He will sleep. Nagini will keep him safe…. keep him safe.'_

Voldemort fought a smile. It seemed his familiar had found a new best friend, although Harry would probably not be as welcoming when he finally awoke.

* * *

Almost an entire day had passed and Harry had still not awoken. He was restless in his sleep and Voldemort considered waking him a few times. For the most part, Voldemort had not left the room where the boy slept, leaving once only to attend a short meeting with his Death Eaters. While he was gone, Nagini stayed with Harry, still wrapped securely around him.

Voldemort was sitting at his desk in the room that evening when he heard Harry stir. Voldemort could feel something deep inside him… something that told him his youngest horcrux was in danger.

' _Master, I think something is wrong with the snakeling…'_ Nagini said from her spot on the bed. Voldemort stood from his desk, quickly making his way to Harry. The boy was still asleep, but he was moving, twitching as if in a dream. According to the small whimper and quick breaths coming from the boy Voldemort knew it was not a pleasant dream.

' _Nagini move'_

The snake quickly unwrapped herself from around Harry, moving to the side of the bed.

"Harry…" Voldemort said, trying to wake the boy. Harry's eyes remained closed, his breathing becoming faster, more labored. The boy was shaking and began moving his arms, gripping the sheets under him. His legs were repeatedly pushing against the bed, obviously trying to run from something. It was definitely time to wake him.

"HARRY!" Voldemort said, louder, reaching out to touch the panicking boy. As soon as his hand made contact with Harry's arm, the boy's eyes shot open and he lurched forward.

"NNOOOOOO!" Harry screamed as he fell from the bed with a thud. He quickly stood, trying to run, but only made it a few steps before collapsing onto the floor. Harry lay on the ground sobbing, covering his head with his hands, trying to shield himself. "P-please don't hurt me… ple-ease. I'm sorry, please d-don't hurt me!"

' _Master… what's wrong with him?'_

' _I- I don't know, Nagini.'_

Voldemort stood from the bed, walking towards the small body shaking on the floor of his bedroom, before kneeling down behind him. "H-Harry…" he said timidly, truly not understanding what was happening to the child.

"Help… me…." Harry whimpered, more to himself than to anyone around him.

A thought occurred to Voldemort.  _Harry…_ he said to the boy,  _little one…_ Voldemort used the mind link that had been so useful to him over the past few months. It seemed to work as Harry stopped shaking, if only for a moment.  _Hush… Shhh…_

Voldemort watched as Harry's eyes opened, looking around the room. The boy was still crying, tears running down his face. Voldemort knelt behind him, frozen, afraid that if he moved he would destroy what little calm had found its way into Harry. The boy looked around the room, almost as if he were searching for something.

Voldemort nervously used the mind link again.  _Harry?_

Voldemort watched as the boy, still lying upon the floor, slowly turned and locked eyes with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ok, sorry I've been dragging the big reunion scene out, but I thought it would be interesting to see what Voldemort had been up to! Next chapter will truly and honestly be Harry meeting "the voice"


	6. Chapter 6

_There was silence in the room… but he was sure he had heard…_

_Still breathing heavily from fear and crying, he pushed himself up onto his side and quickly looked around the strange place. He had heard the voice, he was sure of it. It had saved him… again._

_Harry? He heard the voice louder and clearer than ever, even felt its presence… as if right behind him._

_Harry Potter turned over, half raised onto his elbows. Emerald eyes locked with crimson._

Harry could've sworn he felt his heart stop. He wasn't even sure how it was possible for a human brain and body to move so quickly, but one second he was lying in the floor and the next he was on his feet running for the door, absolutely terrified. Harry wasn't thinking about what he was doing, his body knew it was in danger and his reflexes kicked into overdrive.

When he reached the door Harry paused for just a moment, his mind finally catching up with his body.  _Had that really been...?_ He turned around quickly and looked behind him, almost expecting the man to have been a delusion. The Dark Lord was getting to his feet, startled by the boy's sudden outburst.  _OH BLOODY HELL!_ Harry's mind screamed.

Harry spun back around and grabbed the doorknob and yanked, desperate to get out of the room. The door didn't budge. Harry yanked again. And again. And again. He put his foot onto the wall beside the door and pulled.  _Why is the door not OPENING?!_

A voice broke through his panic. "Harry." The boy's heart leapt.  _No, no, no, no, no, no, OPEN!_ He mentally screamed at the door.

Giving up on his first route of escape, Harry whirled around. His eyes frantically scanned the room, looking for another way out. Voldemort stood in the center of the bedroom with a slightly confused expression, not sure if he should try to stop the boy or just let him wear himself out on his own. Harry saw another door on the opposite side of the bedroom; he knew he had to go for it.

The only thing standing between Harry and his escape was The Dark Lord himself. Harry panicked, and before he even knew what he was doing he took off running towards the other side of the room. He sprinted towards the bed, jumped on top of it and ran across. As he was about to jump off to the floor on the other side he saw it. There on the ground laid a snake larger than Harry could have ever imagined. The shock made Harry's body instinctually freeze for a moment, his feet tried to stop but the inertia sent his body forward. His legs caught on the sheets of the bed, causing his feet to fly out from under him. He landed on the very edge of the bed, only to flop down onto the floor with a thud. His body froze, eyes wide as he came face to face with the monster. Time seemed to stop as he stared. Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing, how could a snake be THAT big?!

He knew he had to move. Slowly, so as to not entice the creature to eat him whole, Harry stood, gripping the bed for support. Not making any sudden movements, he slowly sat down on the bed and crawled backwards, trying to put any distance he could between him and the snake.

His eyes never left the animal, which was still lying in the same place on the floor, simply watching the boy. Harry eventually reached the other side of the bed and as he placed one foot on the floor he felt arms wrap around him. He let out a scream. Somehow he had completely forgotten anyone else was in the room.

The strong arms wrapped around his torso and dragged him backwards. Harry struggled, wiggling his body this way and that in an attempt to free himself. Instinct took over and Harry kicked his left leg backwards into the shin of the man behind him. Voldemort let out a startled yell as pain radiated up his leg. The man's grip faltered for a second before tightening even further. Harry kept fighting, using what little movement he had in his arms to punch backwards into Voldemort's body as he kicked with his legs.

"OW! Harry STOP! STOP!"

Harry continued, realizing that it was working. He saw something out of the corner of his eye rising into the air. He lifted his head and saw the huge snake in front of him, raising itself so that its head was level with Harry's. Harry froze.

' _You hurt Master! Nagini will kill you!'_ The snake spit into the air. Harry could see venom dripping from the snake's exposed fangs. Voldemort stopped fighting, noticing the boy had gone stiff. He looked up in time to see Nagini rearing back; he had not heard her threat in the commotion.

' _NAGINI, NO!'_ He shouted in Parseltongue, reaching one of his hands out towards the snake. Harry felt his body being ripped backwards, and suddenly he was facing the opposite side of the room. Voldemort still clung to him with one arm, holding him in place behind him. Was Voldemort protecting him?

' _Move Master! I will take care of him! I will kill him!'_

' _Stop, Nagini!'_

' _He hurt Master!'_

' _No. He is fine. He is fine. He did not hurt me.'_

Harry turned his head and peeked around Voldemort's black robes. The snake stood, still raised in the air, looking from Voldemort to Harry. Harry thought he could see confusion in her eyes- fighting between obeying her Master and attempting to kill the boy who hurt him.

The pause in the action gave Harry his chance. He ripped himself from Voldemort's grasp and ran towards the door at the other side of the room. Without looking behind him to see if the other two occupants of the room were coming after him, he yanked the door open and threw himself inside. He slammed the door behind him, immediately turning the lock on the doorknob.

He quickly spun around, ready to sprint down a hallway. Harry's heart dropped as he stared at a toilet and a shower- he just locked himself in a bathroom. Harry could hear his heart pounding in his ears, his breaths coming in harsh pants as the adrenaline raced through his body.

He could hear commotion from the other side of the door.

' _NAGINI! GET OUT!'_ Voldemort snapped, sounding extremely angry.

' _Sorry Master! Nagini is sorry! The snakeling attacked you Master!'_

Harry heard Voldemort roar. Panicked rushed through the boy- an angry Voldemort was the last thing he needed, and his 'escape' probably didn't help anything. He looked around to see if there was anything in the large bathroom he could push in front of the door. He knew it was useless, as Voldemort could blast through the wooden door with simply a thought. Harry searched, but there was nothing in the bathroom of substantial weight that even had a chance of keeping anyone out.

"Harry," Voldemort's voice came through the door. Harry froze, waiting for the door to be blasted off its hinges. A few moments passed.

"Harry. Open the door." There was nowhere for Harry to go, nowhere to hide, so he just silently waited. There was no way he was leaving this bathroom willingly, Voldemort would have to come in and drag him out.

"Harry!"

Harry knew Voldemort was growing angrier by the second, but he just couldn't help himself… blame it on the inner Gryffindor. "I'm not coming out! You're going to have to come in and get me!"  _Ok, maybe not the best choice of words,_ Harry thought.

"Come out now, Harry! I won't hurt you I promise. Just come out."

"HA!"

Harry could hear Voldemort mumbling about something-cruxes being more trouble than they were worth.  _A what-crux?_

Harry jumped as Voldemort's fist banged once against the door. "COME OUT NOW!"

Harry wondered why Voldemort had yet to barge his way into the room. He hadn't even uttered a curse in Harry's direction yet…. or even brought his wand out for that matter. Harry had no doubt that Voldemort now stood in the bedroom with the white bone wand in his hand, waiting for Harry to take just one step out of the bathroom so that he could curse him into oblivion.

A few minutes passed in silence before Voldemort calmly said, "You will come out eventually. You aren't stupid enough to let yourself starve and waste away in a bathroom." Harry heard nothing else for a few minutes and decided he was safe for now. He took the opportunity to search the bathroom, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon. He silently cursed the Dursley's for locking his wand away.

The Dursley's. Dudley. The memories immediately flooded back. He suddenly remembered how he got here in the first place- the Dementors. They must be on Voldemort's side, working for the Dark. Harry remembered the voice though… it said it was there, that he was safe. He desperately tried to remember what happened through his foggy memories. He thought he had felt someone pick him up, someone who felt safe, warm. Was that the voice? No, it couldn't have been because Harry had ended up right in Voldemort's hands. The voice would have taken him back to Dumbledore, back to safety. Harry shook his head, he couldn't remember much. Harry wondered what happened to Dudley and the other boys… fearing the worse.  _Maybe they got out alright..._  It felt odd being worried for the boy who had tortured Harry so much over the years…

Harry went back to searching the bathroom, he didn't have a wand but he had every intention of going down with a fight.

A few hours passed and Harry had heard nothing from the other side of the door. He contemplated opening the door a crack and peeking into the room… just to see. He quickly thought better of it, picturing Voldemort standing there silently with an Avada Kedavra waiting for him. Voldemort was not the kind of man to hunt someone down for years and then let him get away easily.

Once the adrenaline had passed Harry had almost immediately felt the effects of the Dementor. He was tired and weak, and all he wanted to do was crawl up into a ball on the floor and go to sleep. He knew that wasn't an option though with Voldemort on the other side of the door. Honestly? He really needed some chocolate.

Harry was starting to get bored. There was almost nothing in the bathroom, not even the things you would expect like towels and soap. It was empty aside from a toilet, sink, mirror, glass shower, and a very large bathtub. Harry was currently sitting on the edge of the tub, contemplating his next move. He couldn't leave the bathroom in fear of Voldemort having been waiting for him all this time, so for now he simply had to sit and wait. Harry almost hoped that Voldemort would try to bust down the door, too egotistical to allow Harry to starve to death. Maybe then he'd had some kind of chance to make a break for it. Harry knew that Voldemort cherished the boy's murder more than any other and would never allow something as simple as starvation to take the boy's life.

Harry decided to lie down in the tub; his bottom was starting to hurt from sitting. As he settled down into the tub he heard something in his mind.  _Harry…_

Harry froze, a smirk forming on his lips. He was going to be rescued. He knew it this time. The voice had always promised to keep him safe, that it was coming. He was sure it was here, he could feel its presence. His time at the Dursley's had been different, Vernon would hurt him, but never came close to actually killing him. Every time Vernon seriously injured the boy the voice would always come and comfort him, heal him. This time was different. This time he was going to die without help, his life was truly in danger. He knew Dumbledore wouldn't let him down. Harry felt hope.

_Little snake… Why are you hiding from me?_

_Hiding?_ Harry thought, momentarily confused.

_Yesss, hiding…_

Wait, could the voice hear him? Could he communicate with it? With Dumbledore?

_Can you hear me?_ Harry asked in his mind.

_Yesss… now come out, please._

_W-what?_

_Come out…_

So Dumbledore knew he was hiding in the Dark Lord's bathroom… very Gryffindor.

_I am here… I will keep you safe…_ the voice whispered. Thank Merlin it had finally come for him.

_What about Voldemort? And the snake?_

_They are gone… I will keep you safe…_ Harry felt unexpectedly hesitant. The voice had always promised to keep him safe in the past, but that was when he was with the Dursleys. It was different now that the man who wanted to murder him was quite possibly standing on the other side of the door. Harry took a deep breath. He should trust the voice. He had known since the beginning that it had come from Dumbledore, and therefore he should trust it. Why hadn't it saved him from the Dementors though? He thought he had heard it? If anything was life threatening it was a Dementor… but yet he had ended up with Voldemort.

Harry took a deep breath. He didn't have time to waste pondering over the why's. He would just pray that the voice was right and Voldemort and the snake were gone.

Harry walked to the door and unlocked it silently. He slowly and carefully opened it a crack, just enough to peek through. He couldn't see much, but there was no sign of snakeman yet. He opened the door a bit more and stuck his head out. He looked around the room- it was empty. He felt slightly disappointed that there was no one waiting for him on the other side ready to take him away from this place. What had he been expecting? Some kind of physical manifestation of the voice, wand at the ready to fight their way out? The voice just felt so real to him, especially in the past few hours, like its presence had been right beside him. Harry had to remind himself that the voice was just that- a voice. It wasn't a real person, it wasn't his rescuer. It was just a way for Dumbledore to communicate with him.

He stepped out of the safety of the bathroom and searched the floor- there was no man-eating snake in sight. Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He tip-toed to the door that hopefully led to a hallway of some kind, he would find his way out of this place somehow- the voice would guide him.

He opened the door and was just about to take a peek when the door slammed shut in his face on its own. He grabbed the doorknob and shook it- it was locked.

"Harry, don't panic." He heard from behind him. He spun around just as Voldemort took the disillusionment charm off of himself. "I'm not going to hurt you." Harry just stood and stared for a moment. The man was standing in front of the door to the bathroom, blocking his only escape. "Just listen to me."

"Like hell if I'm going to listen to you!" Harry said, the sentence coming out much stronger than he felt.

"Harry, I have no need to hurt you any longer."

"No  _need_ to hurt me?!"

Voldemort finally pulled his bone wand out from his robes and Harry tensed, fully ready to dodge whatever spell Voldemort threw at him. Instead, Voldemort pointed the wand behind him and the bathroom door slammed, Harry didn't have to hear a verbal spell to know that it was now locked. Harry was now trapped.

Ignoring the boy's last comment Voldemort said, "Harry, I need you to sit and listen-"

"I am NOT going to just sit here and wait for you to kill me. They're coming for me. I know it."

"Who? Who's coming for you Harry?"

"…. someone. Dumbledore. He knows I'm here…"

"Dumbledore is not coming for you, he has no knowledge that you are here."

"You don't know that. He's told me he's here, or, well…" Harry's voice trailed off. The voice had said it was here… but wasn't that the same as Dumbledore? Maybe no one was actually here yet… but they had to be on their way to rescue him. They had to be. The voice would somehow protect him until they got here.

"Are you talking about the voice in your head?" Voldemort said surprisingly gently. Harry froze, shocked. How did Voldemort know about that?

"W-what are you talking about?" he stuttered.

"You know what I'm talking about Harry…" Voldemort took a few steps towards the boy, which only made Harry back up into the door.

"No. No I don't."

"The voice Harry… I know you keep hearing a voice in your head. It told you it was here, that it would protect you from me. I know-"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Harry screamed, suddenly overcome with anger. It was scaring him… the fact that Voldemort knew his secret, knew what he had clung to for so many weeks. The one thing that let him know he wasn't alone, that gave him hope. But he could be lying right? Maybe Voldemort was just trying to scare him. If so, it was working.

Voldemort sighed in what almost seemed a sad way. His face showed that he was seemingly trying to make a decision. He knew Harry was not going to like nor accept what he was about to do, but it was necessary. Harry would accept it… eventually.

_I'm not trying to scare you…_

Harry jolted. Was that-? He tried to keep his face passive, as if he hadn't just heard the voice.

_It's me Harry, it's been me all along._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ok, I know Voldemort could've just cast Alohomora on the door and been done with it AND could've just stunned Harry instead of wrestling with him. JUST USE YOUR IMAGINATION! Lol.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I changed a slight timeline issue in a previous chapter. This is now all occurring in early July, as opposed to early August. My apologies, but the story was taking me someplace I hadn't originally intended. =)

_I'm not trying to scare you…_

Harry jolted. Was that-? He tried to keep his face passive, as if he hadn't just heard the voice.

_It's me Harry, it's been me all along._

Harry furiously shook his head. He didn't believe this for a second.

_I'm not lying young one…_

Harry stood staring at the Dark Lord. This couldn't be right. It was impossible. Somehow Voldemort had found out about Dumbledore's form of communication and was using it to manipulate Harry. But Harry refused to let it work. He wouldn't let Voldemort take away the one hope he clung to. The man had already taken so much from him, he wouldn't let him take that away from him too.

"Stop. You're lying and I know it. Somehow you found out about the voice and you're trying to use it against me."

_Believe me little snake…_

"SHUT UP!" Harry screamed in defiance. That nickname… that had been the voice's nickname for him… no, this wasn't possible. It just couldn't be possible. Voldemort took a few more steps towards the boy while Harry was distracted. They stood only about 10 feet from each other now.

_It's been me the whole time Harry. I'm the one who has taken care of you, who has comforted you while you slept, who has healed your wounds…_

"No. I don't believe you." Harry said defiantly, but his voice wavering. How did Voldemort know about all of that? "Dumbledore sent the voice, he's the one who healed me. I know it."

_Believe me… I promised to keep you safe, to protect you. Promised to come for you…_

Harry silently shook his head, too shocked to voice his thoughts anymore. Could Voldemort read minds from a distance? Impossible. Legilimency involved eye contact. Though he  _was_ The Dark Lord after all… he knew of magic that normal wizards could only dream of.

_I healed you after your uncle harmed you, I saved you from the Dementors, I-_

"What? No, you weren't even there during the Dementor attack! You're lying! I'm not a bloody idiot!"

Voldemort spoke aloud now. "Did you hear the voice Harry? During the attack?" Harry didn't answer but Voldemort pushed. "Did you hear it?"

"I-"

"Did you feel me? I was holding you. I protected you." Voldemort paused. "… I came for you as I always promised."

Harry didn't answer, he couldn't will his voice to work. This was impossible. Harry didn't know what to do, so many thoughts were flying through his brain. How did Voldemort know all of these things? How did he know…  _everything?_

Voldemort looked down at the boy who suddenly seemed so small. He was young, only 12 years old, soon to be 13. Harry was smart, but Voldemort knew it would take a long time for him to understand. He noticed that tears were forming in the boy's eyes.

"I- I did not mean to make you upset little snake."

"Don't call me that." Harry snapped, suddenly finding his voice. "I don't know how you know about all of this, and honestly I don't care. Dumbledore knows I'm here."

"Dumbledore has nothing to do with this child." Voldemort said, slight venom in his voice. The mention of the old coot made his blood boil. How he hated that man. "Dumbledore is not the man you think he is."

"YES HE IS! He's a great wizard! A hero! And he's a lot more powerful than you'll ever be!" Harry screamed, sounding much like a stubborn child his age should. He always sounded so mature for his age, but then again being forced to the front lines of a war certainly would cause someone to grow up much too quickly. But the young irrational boy would still creep through every once in a while. Harry looked into the pale man's red eyes, seemingly trying to kill him with the look of hatred.

It was quiet for a while with Harry trying to sort out his thoughts and Voldemort trying to give him his space. Voldemort looked around the room and saw the chocolates still sitting on the bedside table.

"There is chocolate over there if you'd like," He said, gesturing to the golden boxes. Harry looked at the man, confused. Was he really being offered candy? "You look exhausted." Voldemort added.

"I'm not an idiot, I'm not eating anything you give me. I don't trust you."

_Sweet Salazar this boy is stubborn,_ Voldemort thought. It was understandable after all Voldemort had put him through, but Merlin was it annoying. "Harry you almost died from a Dementor attack, you need chocolate. Now eat it. I didn't do anything to it. If I wanted to kill or harm you I would have done so long ago… and I certainly wouldn't have allowed you to camp out in the bathroom for so long."

Harry looked distrustfully at the man. Now that he thought about it, he  _was_ tired… he suddenly felt weak, as if the reminder of the attack triggered the exhaustion. He walked over to the boxes on the table, full of delicious looking chocolate, keeping his eyes on the Dark Lord the entire time. He looked between the boxes and Voldemort and, deciding that Voldemort would much rather kill Harry with a Crucio as opposed to chocolate, took a piece and ate it. It tasted heavenly, and Harry flopped down onto the bed behind him without thinking.

Silence settled over the room again as Harry ate. His body felt normal, so he figured Voldemort had been telling the truth after all. A pleasant tingling made its way through Harry's body as he continued to eat.

Harry felt Voldemort's intense eyes on him… it felt awkward being stared at so intently. What was the man looking for? "Why haven't you killed me yet?" Harry said quietly, breaking the silence.

"That's something I will explain at another time."

Harry pressed on, not accepting that answer for even a second. "You have been trying to find and kill me for years… then you claim to 'rescue' me," Harry said with an eye roll "you bring me back to your lair, and then you don't even throw one curse at me. I don't believe it."

"You don't believe a lot of what I tell you..."

"Well excuse me for not trusting the man who murdered my parents and who has been trying to kill me for the past few years."

"Do you  _want_  me to hurt you, boy?" Voldemort said, sounding irritated.

"No!" Harry said quickly, maybe he was asking for trouble he didn't really want. "I just- I don't understand…"

"Then you should appreciate the fact that you're still uninjured and standing. You will understand soon enough. I will tell you in time."

"In time?! You mean I have to stay- wait a minute. I know..." Harry said, suddenly working it out in his mind. "You're using me as bait. Luring Dumbledore and the others in…"

"I'm tired of this. Eat your chocolate, I will explain later and that is that." Voldemort said with a tone of finality.

"So what? You're just going to keep me here? Feed me chocolate and then send me to a dungeon?"

"I'm not sending you to a dungeon. You  _will_ stay here, but you will be comfortable so long as you behave correctly." Harry scoffed. "Believe what you will, I do not care at this moment. I will be gone for a while, you will stay in this room and entertain yourself until I return."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. There are books on the wall behind you, I'm sure there is something there that will keep your interest for an hour or two."

"I'm not staying here!" Harry said jumping to his feet, feeling 100 times better after eating the chocolate.

"You  _will_. There is no point in arguing." Voldemort said as he turned and walked to the main door. "I will be back shortly and then you will eat. For now, read, sit, play, do whatever, you're old enough to entertain yourself for a while." Voldemort spun on his heels and was out of the door before Harry could blink. Harry stood there for a moment, mouth open. Voldemort was really just going to keep him locked in this room like a pet? For how long?

Harry ran towards the door, grabbing the doorknob in a futile attempt to open it. He knew it was hopeless, the Dark Lord wouldn't just leave the door unlocked, but he had to try. He shook the handle but it didn't budge. Harry slammed his hand against the door. "I'M NOT GOING TO STAY IN HERE FOREVER! THEY WILL COME FOR ME!" Harry gave the door one good kick with his foot for emphasis.

He turned around and examined the room. He glanced at the bed that he had toppled from earlier- the sheets still askew. A bookshelf lined the entire opposite wall aside from the door to the bathroom Harry had previously occupied. A desk was to the left as well as a large window that Harry somehow hadn't noticed before now in the chaos. He ran over to it and tried to open it. Same as the door, it didn't budge. He looked out the window and down to the ground, there was no way he could climb down anyway without killing himself- they had to be three stories high, maybe four. Harry looked around outside. From the window he could see that vibrant green grass surrounded the house and a forest looked to be about a mile or so in the distance. Harry could see the edge of a garden from where he stood. It was beautiful he had to admit.

The boy left the window and looked towards the bookcase. He really wasn't in the mood to read, the books would probably curse or attempt to eat him anyway knowing the Dark Lord. Now that the chaos had stopped so abruptly and Harry was alone he realized he was quite tired. The weakness and exhaustion from the Dementor attack had worn off, but Harry still felt like he hadn't slept for days. His body had been through so much in the last few hours and it seemed to want to collapse on him. The only furniture to sit on in the room was the large bed, a wooden chair behind the desk, and a couple of large armchairs near the bookcase. Harry knew falling asleep was a dumb idea but suddenly his eyes were so heavy… he just wanted to rest, just for a few minutes. He considered sitting in one of the armchairs but changed his mind. His stubbornness had crept through once more and he refused to use the Dark Lord's furniture simply out of spite. And Merlin knew he'd sleep outside in the cold before he slept in Voldemort's bed. Harry knew he was only torturing himself, that his stubbornness would really affect Voldemort in no way, but nevertheless he walked over to the rug near the fireplace and sat down. The rug was extraordinarily soft, and honestly he'd probably be more comfortable lying down on it than sitting up in one of the armchairs anyway.

Harry lied down, situating himself so that he faced the fire. It was so warm… he was so tired…  _Just for a few minutes_ he thought to himself as his eyes closed and he fell instantly asleep.

"Harry, wake up." A hand touched Harry's shoulder gently. He moaned and rolled over. "Harry… it's time to move to the bed." Harry mumbled, not entirely sure himself what he was trying to communicate other than there was no way he was moving away from the warm fire. He had been sleeping deeply and his body was quickly pulling him back into unconsciousness. "Harry you are not an animal, I will not allow you to sleep on the floor." Harry brought his legs up to his chest and curled into a ball. He felt arms under him and suddenly he was being lifted. His sleep-heavy mind paid no attention, not giving any thought to who was carrying him. All he knew was he was being taken away from the fire.

"Nooo…." He mumbled as his face turned into something firm but warm. He distantly heard a chuckle.

"You will be comfortable in the bed, do not worry." Harry had still not opened his eyes but he felt himself being laid onto something soft and silky. Blankets were pulled around him and were being situated so that they fit snuggly around his small body. He felt a hand moving through his hair, gently smoothing it down.

_Sleep well, my little Harry…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a comment in a review stating that, according to canon, Harry is 14 when Voldemort returns. This fic is by no means canon, so things are quite a bit different. In my mind, Voldemort was resurrected when Harry was around 10 years old (in a different way than in Goblet of Fire because obviously they didn't have 'blood of the enemy' at that point). Voldemort heard the first half of the prophesy when Harry was 11, a little after he began attending Hogwarts, and started trying to find and murder him then. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, but again this story does not follow JKR's canon timeline- that is why Harry is so young and certain things seem a bit off. =)

_OH SHIT!_ Harry thought as he rolled over in his sleep, arms flying to the side to brace himself against the fall. His eyes screwed shut and he waited for the landing….. nothing. Shouldn't he have rolled right out of bed?

"What the bloody hell was  _that_?" someone suddenly said.

Harry's eyes snapped open. He had expected to be staring at the dark blue walls of his cramped bedroom at the Dursleys, Hedwig hooting a 'good morning' to him. Instead, he was met with a blinding flash of sunlight as someone ripped open the curtains. Harry's hands flew to cover his eyes and he heard a chuckle.

At the sound, Harry bolted up in the bed and let out a startled yelp as he took in his surroundings. It was the same large room that he seemed to have a vague memory of. He glanced to the window and saw Voldemort standing there, arms crossed and obviously trying to hold back a laugh.

"WHAT THE-?!" Harry yelled as he scooted backwards into the headboard.

"Are you finished? Or is this how you wake up every morning?" The Dark Lord said sarcastically.

Suddenly Harry remembered. Waking up in this room, Voldemort, the panic, the _snake,_ the bathroom… that had truly been unfortunate… eating the chocolate, falling looked back towards the pale man who was still by the window watching the emotions run across Harry's face.

"What're you looking at?!" Harry snapped.

"Is that how you say thank you for allowing you to sleep in my bed?" Harry bristled and looked down to inspect what he was lying on.  _EWWW,_  he thought, extremely unhappy to have slept all night in snakeman's own bed.

_Well that's not very nice,_ the voice echoed in his mind, sounding much less enticing than it had in the past few weeks.

"STOP IT!"

Voldemort ignored the boy's outburst. "I could've let you sleep on the floor all night." Voldemort said as he sat down at the wooden desk situated across the large room.

"Maybe I  _wanted_ to sleep on the floor. Maybe I didn't want to sleep in your stupid bed!"

"You sound like a child."

"I AM A CHILD!" Harry shouted, divesting himself from the tangles of incredibly soft silk sheets. Harry mumbled to himself, "Stupid bed… all fucking comfortable."

"What was that?"

"NOTHING!"

Suddenly Voldemort's bone wand was pointing at Harry. "Shout at me  _one more time_ boy…"

Harry froze for a second before deciding to push his luck. "What? You said you weren't going to  _hurt_  me." He said sarcastically. He watched as Voldemort's eyes narrowed and instantly regretted his comment.

"No, wait I-" The white flash of a stinging hex flew from Voldemort's wand and hit Harry directly in the chest. "OOWWWW!"

"Oh stop whining, you deserved much worse than that. People have died for much less insolence."

"I'm not one of your Death Eaters, I don't  _have_ to respect you." Harry said, rubbing his chest with his hand.

"Consider being respectful to me a wise choice, Harry."

Harry huffed and looked towards the bathroom door. "Can I use the bathroom  _Your Majesty_?"

Harry's eyes widened as another spell came his way. He quickly dodged the unfamiliar black curse… he didn't even want to know what it was. "I'M SORRY!" He shouted, hands over his head.

"You have been here all of one day and are already testing my patience…" Harry gave no response. "Yes, you may use the bathroom." Harry spun on his heels and headed towards the door. "Just don't lock yourself in there this time…." Harry tensed as he could hear the slight amusement in the man's voice. Boy did he regret that escape plan.

Once he was done taking care of his business, Harry looked at himself in the mirror. He had to get out of this place, but he was torn between fighting his way out and waiting for Dumbledore to rescue him. Voldemort hadn't hurt him so far, well, not seriously at least, maybe he could last another day or two until help came…

_They are not coming for you._

The voice. That was it, the last straw. Harry spun on his heels and threw the door open. "FOR MERLIN'S SAKE WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT!"

"Stop doing what?" Voldemort said without looking up from the paper he was reading.

"YOU KNOW WHAT! THE VOICE! STOP DOING IT!"

"I'm doing nothing that I haven't been doing for the past few weeks."

"Just. Stop. Get out of my head."

Suddenly Voldemort stood from his chair, the motion quick and smooth, much like a snake. "Does it really bother you  _ **that badly**_ to know that it was me?" He shouted.

"YES! IT DOES! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

A few seconds passed. "So you do believe that it was me…."

Harry's mouth opened and closed while he tried to find the words to say. He hadn't believed for a second that it was Voldemort, but yet… there was something deep inside him that feared the truth, that just  _knew_ the truth. He squashed that feeling."I didn't say that."

Voldemort just looked at the boy, the tension in the room dissipating in an instant. After a few moments Voldemort sat back down in the chair and resumed his reading. Understanding that the conversation was over, and feeling quite relieved because of it, Harry looked awkwardly around the room.

"So what exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Do whatever you want. Read if you'd like." Voldemort said, again not looking up from what he was doing.

Harry decided against the books once again, still not trusting them not to try to eat him. He took a seat on the floor by the unlit fireplace and leaned against the wall.

"Must you really sit on the floor like an animal?"

"Yes."

Did Harry just see the Dark Lord roll his eyes? No, impossible. A half an hour passed in silence as Harry picked at the rug underneath him. He considered contemplating his escape but with Voldemort obviously in his head he didn't want to risk it.  _Maybe he can only read my mind when we're in close proximity…_ Harry thought with a glance to the Dark Lord, waiting for him to butt in with a sarcastic reply. Nothing came, the Dark Lord simply continued reading.

Growing curious and quite bored, Harry decided to break the silence. "What're you reading?"

"Nothing."

"You're obviously reading something."

"It is of none of your concern, child."

"I'm not a child."

"An hour ago you screamed at me that you were. Make up your mind."

Harry huffed, knowing Voldemort was right. Feeling the need to be irritating, Harry stood from his spot on the floor. If he was going to be stuck here with Voldemort he was at least going to be as obnoxious as possible about it.

He walked over to the desk and placed his hands on the wood and leaned over, peering at the papers. A pale hand slapped down on top of the desk, effectively covering the papers from Harry's sight.

"Dark Lords have paperwork?"

"Go away."

"No."

"Harry…" Voldemort said threateningly.

"At least let me leave this room! I can't just sit around all day!"

"Really? You want to leave this room? Ok, go ahead." Voldemort's wand waved towards the door and Harry watched as it opened. He stared into the empty hallway like it was a hallucination. He looked back at Voldemort before pushing off the desk and heading towards the door. "I'm sure the Death Eaters will appreciate your company."

Harry stopped and turned around. "There are Death Eaters here?" He had come into contact with a few of Voldemort's followers in the past and had yet to have a pleasant experience with them.

"Mmm-hm."

Harry took a few steps backwards and shot another glance down the empty hall. Oh how he wanted to get out of this room! He had been awake for less than an hour, but how he longed to be able to do something aside from sit around all day!

It was then that a woman's scream echoed throughout the manor. The hair on Harry's neck stood on end. Something about that scream… it reminded him of something that he couldn't quite place.

"Ok no I think I'll stay." He said quietly while backing further from the open door, not appreciating the smug look on the Dark Lord's face.

"Sounds like they're having some fun with-" Voldemort's voice was cut off by another piercing scream. Harry jolted and shrunk back. His mind was going a hundred miles an hour and he suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable… like his body sensed it was about to be in danger.

Voldemort watched as the now trembling boy stared in horror at the hallway. Voldemort stood from his seat, the humor suddenly gone from the situation. Something was wrong.

Voldemort wandlessly slammed the door, cutting the woman's screams off. "Harry?"

The 12 year old stood staring at the door, shaking his head back and forth as if he couldn't comprehend what was happening.

Harry watched as the door slammed shut. The scream stopped but it still reverberated through his ears, traveled through his body. He covered his ears with his hands, trying to block the nonexistent noise out. What was happening? Why wouldn't it stop?! The scream changed in pitch and morphed into a new voice. The sound hit Harry's body like lightning, and suddenly he knew… his mother. Lily Potter's screams shook her son's body, making it impossible for him to see or hear anything else.

"Oh my god…." Harry said as he wobbled on his feet.

Voldemort was beside the boy in an instant. "Harry? Harry what's wrong?" The boy didn't answer, didn't act like he even knew anyone was around. Voldemort grabbed Harry's hands and tried to pull them away from his ears. "Tell me what's wrong!"

"NOOO!" Harry shouted, pulling away, his head frantically shaking back and forth. Harry's world was spinning, the last sounds of his mother haunting him.

Voldemort wasn't sure what to do as the boy panicked. Something had obviously happened when the woman downstairs screamed, but Voldemort couldn't understand why it was affecting Harry so badly. Voldemort did the only thing he could think of, what he had done so many nights before to comfort the boy. He wrapped his arms around the small shaking body.

Harry felt someone hug him, someone holding him tightly. He pressed his face into the person's robes as his mind was assaulted.

"Make it stop, make it stop please…" he whined, sounding as if he was in pain.

"Shhh… it's ok, it's ok. You're fine Harry. You're ok." Voldemort held the boy tightly, subconsciously trying to block out whatever was harming the child with his body.

A minute passed and nothing changed. Voldemort pressed his face into Harry's hair and took a deep breath, willing the boy to calm. Harry's breathing was much too fast and he was still shuddering. Voldemort needed to calm him down, now.

Voldemort took a moment, wondering if this was the right decision. Harry had been so angry before…

The boy whimpered, sounding like a terrified baby, only reinforcing Voldemort's decision.

_Calm down… please calm down Harry…_

Voldemort felt the boy tense under him.

_You're ok… I've got you… I'm here, as I promised I would be… you are safe…_

That was all it took. The screams stopped and Harry was thrown back into reality. Harry felt tears forming behind his eyes and before he could even try to control them it was much too late. A strangled sob forced its way from his throat and the tears began to fall. He let go of his ears, the agonizing cries of his mother finally gone.

Somehow he knew Voldemort was the one holding him, and for some strange reason that he couldn't begin to explain it made him feel safe. Somehow he was certain he had not felt this safe since his own parents had held him as a baby.

He reached around Voldemort with his arms and gripped the back of the man's robes tightly, refusing to let go. He hid his face in the man's chest and cried for what felt like hours. Cried for his mother, cried for himself, for the situation he was in, cried because he finally knew- finally knew that the voice had come for him at last. That he was safe.


	9. Chapter 9

It was a long time before Harry calmed down even the slightest. Once his breathing seemed to be returning to normal, aside from the occasional hiccup, Voldemort moved. He gently guided Harry towards the large bed and sat him down, quietly taking a seat beside him. At first he simply looked at the poor boy. Harry was very thin, verging on unhealthy looking, as if the Dursley's only gave him enough food to get him by each day. His black hair was becoming slightly shaggy, sticking up in every direction, and even for his age he was small. He looked more like a child than a boy who was about to become a teenager. Harry sat with his head hanging, hands resting on his lap, trying to take deep breaths. The two sat in quiet for a long time before Voldemort decided to break the silence.

"How do you feel?" he asked. Harry simply shrugged his shoulders, which Voldemort took as a sign that the boy didn't wish to have a conversation. Voldemort looked around the room uncomfortably… he had simply acted on instinct when Harry had panicked, but now he felt awkward sitting beside the silent boy, not sure at all what to do or say.

"Why did you do it?"

The small unexpected voice startled Voldemort. Harry sat in the same position, eyes facing the floor, and Voldemort wondered for a brief moment if he had imagined the question. Even without the boy elaborating, he knew what Harry was referring to.

"I cannot tell you that right now…" Voldemort said, regretting the fact that he had to keep repeating this answer over and over, but it was true.

"Why? Why can't you just tell me?" Harry's voice wavered, still full of emotion.

"It's in your best interest if-"

"I don't care. I want to know. Tell me."

Voldemort wanted to tell Harry everything- why he was no longer attempting to kill him, why he had visited Harry as the voice. Both were connected, both were for the same reason, but Harry just couldn't handle the truth right now. Voldemort had protected Harry physically, but now he felt the need to protect the boy physically, emotionally, mentally… he didn't  _have_ to, but maybe there was a part of him that wanted to. Harry was different than the others…

"You just found out that your enemy not only has no desire to kill you any longer, but has also gone to great lengths to protect you for the past month… how about one shock at a time? Not to mention whatever just happened…"

Harry sighed, maybe he had a point. Plus it wasn't as if he was going to convince the Dark Lord to do anything he didn't want to do. "I won't like it will I? The reason?"

"Probably not." The room was quiet as the two sat in contemplative silence. Harry's mind could hardly wrap around the fact that he had not only been rescued, er, captured by Voldemort, but was now sitting next to him on a bed having a conversation.  _That stupid voice,_ he thought.  _WHY did it have to be Voldemort of all people?!_

"Do you trust me?" Voldemort asked, breaking into Harry's thoughts.

Harry finally looked up at the man sitting beside him. "I- I don't know." He said truthfully.

"Do you trust the voice?"

"… yes, but I thought it was Dumbledore." Harry said timidly, not trying to anger Voldemort. "He has no idea I'm here does he?"

"I doubt it. Not yet at least."

"You really make my life difficult ya know?" Harry sarcastically said. Voldemort chuckled and put his hand on the back of the boy's head.

Voldemort felt Harry stiffen under his touch and quickly brought his hand back to his lap. "I won't touch you if it makes you uncomfortable."

"It's ok... no, no it's not. I don't know, I'm so confused!" he huffed, putting his head in his hands. Voldemort felt bad for the boy, he truly did. He had taken so much away from Harry and he almost felt regret for hurting this poor boy so much… almost. Voldemort rarely felt regret for his actions.

Harry held his head in his hands, desperately trying to sort out his emotions. He didn't know up from down anymore, and he certainly didn't know who his enemies were any longer. One day, one day and everything had changed so drastically.

His mind paused for a moment when he heard something, it sounded like something sliding along the floor. He opened his eyes and peeked through his fingers. The snake was back.

Harry let out a shriek at the sight of the massive snake, slithering across the floor towards the two men. Without giving it a thought, Harry jumped up from his spot and backed further up onto the bed, getting his feet off the floor as quickly as possible. He scrambled so that he was crouching behind Voldemort on the bed, peeking over the Dark Lord's shoulder, making sure that he had a continual eye on the snake.

' _Master, forgive me. Nagini is so sorry, she was just trying to protect Master. Can Nagini come back please?'_

Harry stared at the snake in shock, this being the first time he had really gotten a good look at it.  _How the hell did Voldemort get a talking snake?!_

Voldemort sighed.  _'Nagini, you are more trouble than you're worth! I understand you were trying to protect me. Yes, you may stay in my rooms once again.'_

' _AH! Thank you Master! Thank you sweet Master!'_

Voldemort felt the terrified presence of the boy behind him, obviously trying to hide from his pet.

"I guess I should introduce you two."

Harry's mouth fell open, and he gave the back of Voldemort's head a disbelieving look.  _Does he really want to_ introduce  _me to a snake?!_

"Yes. I think it would be reasonable since you two will be spending a lot of time together." Voldemort answered Harry's unspoken thought.

Harry's face fell at the reminder that he was stuck in this room until help arrived. "I am NOT staying with that, that THING!"

"She's just a snake, Harry."

"IT'S A MONSTER!"

Again Harry wondered if he had seen the Dark Lord himself roll his eyes. " _SHE_  is not a monster Harry, she's a snake. She's just big."

"BIG?! _BIG?!_ SHE'S MASSIVE!" Voldemort huffed. "She could, and probably WILL, eat me whole!"

"She won't hurt you."

"She already tried to kill me! She said so herself!"

"It was a misund- wait, you can understand Parseltongue?"

"Understand what?"

"Parseltongue."

"I have no bloody clue what you're talking about."

' _Can you understand me?'_

' _Of course I can'_ Harry responded back in Parseltongue unconsciously. Voldemort smirked.

' _Harry, this is Nagini'_ he said, gesturing to the snake on the floor.

'… _. Well… that's nice to know….I suppose. What is this thing you're talking about though?'_

' _Parseltongue. The language of the snakes. You're speaking it now.'_

' _What?! I most definitely cannot speak to snakes.'_

' _Listen to yourself. Talk to Nagini.'_

' _I'm not talking to it.'_

' _It's a HER Harry… and yes you will. Say hi and listen.'_

Still crouching behind Voldemort, Harry eyed the snake warily, completely unamused by this whole ordeal.

' _Hi.'_

Nagini looked to her Master.  _'He's not overly polite is he?'_

' _He's shy.'_

' _I am not shy!'_ Harry stammered on the last word, realizing that he heard a faint hissing as he spoke.  _'I sound funny…'_ Harry said, trying to listen to his words.

' _Only to other people. There are very few wizards who have ever had the ability to speak Parseltongue, it's quite a gift.'_  It was difficult to hear, butHarry could hear a faint hissing as Voldemort spoke.

' _Why would I want to talk to snakes all the time?'_ Harry said with a look of disgust towards Nagini.

'…  _I don't like him as much as I used to.'_ She said.

' _You will get used to one another.'_

' _Hmph.'_ Harry mumbled.

' _At least try to get along'_

' _I don't even want to be here in the first place!'_ Harry snapped, climbing off the opposite side of the bed. He felt slightly more comfortable around Nagini with Voldemort in the room, but not enough to be anywhere within striking distance.

Voldemort's red eyes watched as Harry climbed off the bed. Hesitantly he asked, "So, I take it you feel better? What happened?"

Harry instantly knew what Voldemort was referring to. "Oh, um, I don't really know. I just… didn't like the screams." He said awkwardly.

"I see."

Harry hesitated, "Um, the same thing happened with the Dementors…"

Voldemort looked curiously at the boy. "What do you mean?"

"The screams. I heard my moth- I mean, I heard someone screaming... in my head."

His mother. Voldemort knew that's what he had been about to say. "You hear her, don't you? Your mother?"

Harry looked uncomfortable, looking anywhere but at Voldemort's eyes. "Sometimes…" he mumbled quietly.

An awkward silence permeated the room and Harry desperately wanted to break the silence, to change the subject as quickly as possible. "So any idea how the Dementors got through the wards arou-" Harry quickly stopped, realizing he had just told Voldemort about the wards protecting the area around Privet Drive.

"I know about the wards Harry." Voldemort said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You can't imagine that I would think the Light would simply leave their Savior unguarded."

"Oh…" Harry felt extremely stupid, of course Voldemort knew about the wards… Harry looked towards the pale man who had stood from his place on the bed. "Doesn't really matter now anyway I guess…"

"True."

"I thought the Dementors were guarding Azkaban?" Harry asked.

"There was a break out last month. Almost half of the prisoners escaped, it's been chaos ever since. Most of the Dementors abandoned their posts…"

"Prisoners escaped?! How did they get out?!" Harry asked, eyes wide. He hadn't been a part of the Wizarding World for long, but he was under the impression that Azkaban was one of the most heavily guarded prisons in the world.

"The Ministry has wasted a lot of effort trying to figure that out, they assume it was me."

"And it wasn't?"

"Of course it was, who else could possibly get in? I had a few of my best followers in Azkaban, I needed them out." Harry waited for more of an explanation. "The Dementors have been on our side for a while now. I ordered them to continue to guard the prison as the Ministry had instructed and simply waited until I needed them."

Harry didn't know what to say. How much of the Wizarding World did Voldemort control?

A few moments passed. "You're quiet." Voldemort finally said.

"Oh, I'm just… thinking." Harry said. "I thought you didn't want to hurt me? Why did you send the Dementors to Little Whinging?"

"I didn't. I would never order someone to harm you…"

"Ah, yeah… so my couple of run-ins with the Death Eaters over the past year or so have just been a misunderstanding?" Voldemort frowned at the boy, feeling exasperated over the whole issue. Harry continued, the boy's normal sarcasm slipping through once more. "Ok, ok I get it, you don't have to hex me again. So how did the Dementors even get through the wards?"

"I… I had been weakening them for some time so that I myself could get to you… this was before things… changed."

"Changed." Harry said, getting tired of not understanding why Voldemort had so suddenly stopped wanting him dead.

"Yes, changed. From what I can gather, the Dementors were simply trying to feed and broke through the weakened wards. I did not foresee- I did not think…" Voldemort uncharacteristically stumbled over his words for a brief moment. "I assumed you were safe. I assumed incorrectly and I regret that greatly, which I do not often do."

"I'm safe now though right?" Harry paused, utterly shocked at what he had just said. Did he really think he was safe here? With the Death Eaters wandering about? With the giant snake continually popping up out of nowhere? With Voldemort?

Harry thought he saw the smallest of smiles on Voldemort's face if only for a moment. "Yes… yes you are safe now."

Harry felt the need to cover up his question. "So long as you promise to keep that monster away from me." Harry jumped as he heard a sharp hiss from the other side of the room.

"I won't promise anything if you two don't start at least trying getting along."

Harry rolled his eyes as Voldemort moved back towards his desk, presumably to finish what he had been working on what seemed like hours ago.

Harry moved towards one of the large armchairs by the fire, deftly avoiding the large snake on the floor giving him the stink eye. Harry collapsed into the chair, somehow feeling tired even though he had woken up a mere couple of hours ago. He glanced over to the man sitting at the desk who was now back to reading.

 _I hope you realize I'm going to make it my new life goal to find out what kind of 'paperwork' you do…_ Harry thought with a smirk.

_Good luck._


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I keep getting a lot of questions on Harry's age- he is twelve, almost 13. The story does not follow JKR's timeline, I'm just borrowing her characters. So, even though he is young, Harry does know about things such as Dementors, Voldemort has already been reborn, Harry has already had a run-in or two with Death Eaters, etc. I understand it may be a bit confusing because things are happening in a different order than in the actual books. Again, the characters are the same but the timeline is different. Hope that helps. Thanks as always for the questions!

At some point Harry's eyes had fluttered closed. He was thankful for the dreamless nap and was groggy when he first awoke. He found himself lounged across one of the armchairs in the room he had occupied for the past two days.

Harry looked around the empty room, Voldemort was nowhere to be found. The boy stood from the chair and walked towards the window to peek outside. Kneeling on the window seat, he was greeted with the same sight as before- a large lush green landscape and a forest in the distance. The sky was a mix of both orange and red as the sun was setting, and Harry felt slight guilt over his admiration of the sight before him. He shouldn't be enjoying any part of this little 'vacation'.  _I am away from the Dursleys though…_ he thought with relief.  _Wait a minute, the Dursleys! Dudley! What happened to him?!_ Why had he only thought of his cousin now? Harry tried to remember the Dementor attack in his foggy memories. The last thing he could truly remember was the screaming, but what was before that? He was running towards the other boys, he was going to save them… what had happened?

Harry made a mental note to ask Voldemort later.

With a sigh, Harry thought about his predicament, confused by the entire ordeal. How, in only a matter of days, had Harry become comfortable in Voldemort's presence? Even if only slightly? Did he trust the man? No, of course not. Or, maybe yes? He couldn't explain why, but something about Voldemort lured him in. Harry assumed it was the lure of the voice, of the thing that had healed him all those nights and had given him hope during his abuse-filled summer with the Dursleys. But was it something more than that? Was being here locked away almost… a relief? He was away from the Dursleys for one, but also away from the war. Suddenly Voldemort didn't want to kill him, claimed to not want to harm Harry at all. Harry felt strangely safe here, away from all the constant fighting, planning, and scheming. Here he was away from that, away from the constant Dark vs. Light, Good vs. Evil. Dumbledore had always told Harry that Voldemort was a supreme manipulator… was Voldemort just lying to make Harry feel safe? Was he being manipulated?

Harry was so confused…

' _Master will not be pleased if snakeling tries to escape through the window'_

Harry spun around at the voice.  _'What the-?'_

' _Down here.'_

Harry looked down to the floor and locked eyes with the snake. On instinct, he jumped backwards onto the window seat behind him.

' _Are you really that scared of me, human?'_

' _I'm not scared of you… you just- you always seem to pop up out of nowhere.'_ Harry lamely said, slowly easing off the ledge, trying to save some dignity. He was very wary of the creature.  _'Why are you so big?'_

' _I don't know.'_ Nagini said like it was the dumbest question she'd ever heard.

Harry looked around the room awkwardly while trying to think of something to say.  _'So uh…'_

' _Master says Nagini can't hurt you.'_ Harry just stared at the snake.  _'Nagini will protect snakeling.'_

' _Snakeling? Are you talking about me?'_

' _Of course, what other snakeling is there?'_

' _Um, I don't know? Please don't call me that, I'm not a snake.'_

There was a slight pause in conversation as the snake seemed to consider the request.

' _Nagini will call you snakeling.'_

Harry had a feeling he would not win this battle, and decided to end the conversation. He felt ridiculous talking to a snake anyway. Keeping distance between himself and Nagini, Harry made his way to the bathroom to take care of business.

As he washed his hands, Harry almost felt the need to laugh at his predicament. Here he was, hanging out in Voldemort's bedroom, talking to a snake almost three times as big as he. Harry considered for a moment if this was all just some twisted, sick dream that he would soon wake up from… he knew it wasn't.

The moment Harry opened the bathroom door he was bombarded.

' _You smell like Master.'_

' _I- what? Excuse me?'_

Nagini was on the floor, blocking his exit.

' _Snakeling smells like Master.'_

' _Ok then… that's weird.'_

' _It's true.'_

' _No it's not. I do not smell like him.'_

' _Yes you do.'_

' _No. I don't. That's not true.'_

' _YES it is!'_

' _NO, IT'S NOT!'_

' _IT IS!'_

' _Ah… so I see you two are getting along…'_

Harry looked towards the sound of the voice. Voldemort was closing the main door behind him, trying to hide a smirk.

' _Your dumb snake won't shut up!'_

Nagini hissed, making Harry jump and walk further back into the large bathroom.

' _Nagini, please move so Harry can stop hiding in the bathroom.'_

' _I'm not hiding!'_

' _Snakeling was hiding.'_

' _SHUT -'_

' _ENOUGH.'_ Voldemort hissed, growing quickly tired of their bickering. "You two are so much hassle."

"Why don't you let me leave then?" Harry said with less eagerness than usual.

Voldemort gave Harry a look before walking over to his desk. Harry started to follow him and it wasn't until Voldemort sat down and looked curiously at the boy that Harry stopped. Had he really just been following Voldemort around like a puppy? Master gets home and suddenly Harry is at his feet begging for attention?

Harry unsuccessfully tried nonchalantly to turn and walk over to the window seat instead. He took a seat, leaned against the wall, and looked out the window. They stayed like this for a while, sitting in a strangely comfortable silence. Harry glanced over at Voldemort every few minutes to see if he was looking at him, but the man simply continued on with whatever work he had to do, completely ignoring his captive.

Harry remembered what he had to ask. "So uh, you said you were the one who rescued me from the Dementors right? Did you see other people in the playground? Other boys?"

Voldemort stopped what he was doing and looked towards the window. Harry was sitting there with his knees hugged to his chest. "I saw a group of boys, yes."

"Do you know what happened to them?"

"There was another Dementor..."

"Yeah, I remember that, but do you know what  _happened_ to them… did they get away?"

Voldemort knew what Harry was asking. "You wish to know what happened to your cousin."

Harry was surprised that Voldemort even knew of Dudley. Then again, this was  _Voldemort_ \- he knew everything about Harry. "Yes, do you know if he made it?"

Voldemort paused for a moment. "He got kissed, Harry."

"Oh…"

The room was silent for a few moments. Harry wasn't upset per se, but yet… he felt  _something._ Whether it was sadness or guilt he did not know, but he was not indifferent over hearing the news.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes. Before apparating away with you I saw the Dementor finish."

"Oh. Ok, thanks." Harry said, not entirely sure what to say. He felt odd. He wondered what Vernon and Petunia were doing, if they even noticed that Harry had disappeared. He thought of them finding Dudley's body… Harry shook his head, he didn't want to think of such things. Harry hated Vernon, truly hated the man. But Petunia… sometimes Harry caught her looking at him with a kind of pity. In a weird way Harry felt sorry for her too.

Harry looked back out the window and caught sight of the garden. "One day I want to go outside. I want to see the garden."

Voldemort seemed surprised by this sudden change in topic. "No."

"No? It's just outside! I can see it from here- you can go with me!"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because."

"That's a bad reason."

"Maybe in the future."

"Yeah? Really?"

"Maybe." Voldemort said in a way that made Harry think there was a very slight chance.

Harry looked back outside towards the grand garden. "One day I wanna go see it…"

"One day? You make it sound like you're going to be here a while." Voldemort caught Harry's slip up.

"Oh. Well, you said Dumbledore probably doesn't know I'm here right? Or at least, maybe not yet…" Harry unsuccessfully tried to cover what he said. Did he really expect to be here for a long time? Did he  _want_  to be here? Away from the Dursleys and the war? Did he want to just stay in this room that was slowly becoming his safe haven?

"Hm." Voldemort simply mumbled, resuming his work.

Harry watched the sun set completely and stared out into the night sky. The sound of his stomach growling suddenly echoed in the room. Without looking up from his work, Voldemort snapped his fingers. A house elf appared.

"Harry, tell Tippy what you want for dinner."

Taking slight offence to the man's curt command, Harry turned to the elf. "Uh, what do you have?" Voldemort scoffed.

"Anything you wants sir! Tippy can gets anything you wants!"

"Uh… how about a sandwich?"

"Yes! Tippy can gets that for sir! What kind does sir wants?"

"Any kind?"

"Yes! Tippy will get any kind!" Harry watched as the elf disappeared with a pop.

"You can have anything you want and you ask for a sandwich?" Voldemort asked.

"I didn't want her to have to go to a lot of trouble for it."

"That's what they're there for Harry."

"I just… felt bad."

"Next time tell her what you want- she's not smart enough to care."

"You don't have to be mean to them!" Harry said, getting defensive.

"I'm not being mean, Harry. It's true. That's why house elves are  _servants_."

It took all of Harry's self control not to launch into a tirade. He knew he sounded just like Hermione, always standing up for smaller creatures. Hermione. Harry's heart sank. Had he really not thought of her or Ron since the playground? Had he really been stuck in this room and not thought of them once? What was happening to him…?

A pop broke Harry's thoughts and he looked towards the house elf, standing with a plate in her small hands. "Ah, thanks Tippy."

"Sir is welcome! Sir is very welcome!" she said as she handed the plate over.

Voldemort's gruff voice spoke, "Tippy, get Harry some bread, soup, and some treacle tart."

"Yes Master sir, Tippy will get that now."

"Oh, and pumpkin juice- that's your favorite right?" Voldemort said, directing the question to Harry. The boy just sat there dumfounded. Tippy vanished with another pop.

"Are you kidding me?"

"See? She doesn't care. Next time tell her what you want."

Maybe being stuck here with Voldemort was not as pleasurable as Harry thought.

After eating his dinner, and unfortunately enjoying every bit of it, Harry made his way over to the now lit fire and took a seat on the rug.

Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Voldemort open his mouth and before the man could say anything Harry rushed, "YES! I AM going to sit on the floor like an animal!" Harry smirked when he heard no retort.

Minutes passed as Harry stared into the fire, the flames pulling him into a trance. His eyes were heavy and he rolled over so that he was lying on his side, soaking in the warmth. His eyes closed and he vaguely registered the feel of something large begin to surround him. He opened his eyes a crack and saw the scales of the snake. He felt her wrap around his body with her head resting on his legs.

' _Nagini will keep snakeling safe'_

Harry smirked and was pulled into unconsciousness,  _'Stupid snake….'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next chapter, Harry gets into quite a bit of trouble…


	11. Chapter 11

Harry was awoken early in the morning by unfamiliar voices just outside of the room. He heard someone talking quickly, it sounded as if they were relaying a message. As Harry tried to awaken from his stupor he heard Voldemort whispering furiously… something was wrong.

Harry picked his head up and groggily looked towards the noise just in time to see Voldemort's black robes swirl out of view and the door close.

Harry rolled over and stared at the ceiling. He was lying in Voldemort's bed once again and sighed in frustration. How many times did he have to tell the man he didn't want to sleep in his bed?! It was weird!

Harry wasn't sure how he felt about Voldemort. One minute he hated the man, the next he trusted him, then suddenly they were screaming at each other, then the next minute it seemed like nothing had happened… Harry was confused. Beyond confused.

Harry huffed in frustration. Wait a minute… Harry strained his ears and listened. He heard no sound outside of the door, nothing to indicate something was going on. But Voldemort had left so quickly… something had to be happening. Harry sat up in bed. There was no way…

Harry looked towards the door, particularly the doorknob. He hadn't heard it lock. He hadn't heard the door lock!

Harry jumped out of bed, throwing the silk covers out of the way.

He ran towards the door and placed his hand on the door knob. He slowly and quietly turned the knob… it moved. It was unlocked. Harry was about to make a break for it when he realized something. Nagini. Nagini was supposed to be watching him. He let go of the door and spun around, ready to come face to face with an angry, and frustratingly annoying, snake. Harry looked around the room- she was nowhere to be found.

Harry turned back towards the door and opened it slowly, half afraid Voldemort would be standing on the other side. Harry peeked down the hallway- it was empty and silent.

Harry opened the door further and took a step out into the corridor. He hadn't been outside of the room in three days…

Harry took off down the hallway. He quietly ran down a few corridors, peeking around every corner, terrified to run into Voldemort. He so desperately wanted to explore though! Harry paused for a moment, what if he found an exit? What if he found a way out of this place? Would he leave? The thought scared him…

Harry tried to rationalize. It only scared him because he had no idea where he was- he could be quite literally anywhere in the world right now. He had no way of transportation, no money, no nothing. He would be wandering around who knows where in only his pajamas. Yeah, that was enough reason to stay, that made sense… right? Dumbledore would come for him, or he'd send someone to find him. They had to know by now that Harry had gone missing, they would certainly be trying to find him. How long would that take though?

Harry shook his head, he was three or four floors up and there was no chance of finding an exit any time soon.

Harry slowed to a walk, ears listening for any sign of movement. It was completely silent. He walked through the long stone-walled halls. He came across the occasional painting, the people inside still sleeping… it must be very early morning. Harry continued to walk, rolling his eyes every time he came across a Slytherin crest on the wall.

Harry came across a few doors, most of which were locked. The occasional door that was unlocked led to nothing but an empty room. Harry walked for about 20 minutes, trying to memorize his path so that he could find his way back. The corridors were endless, each turn leading to another long straight hallway.

Harry's heart rate picked up as he finally turned a corner and saw a huge dark mahogany door at the very end. He knew this was stupid. The moment Voldemort caught him he would be dead.  _I just won't let myself get caught then…_

He made his way to the large door and quietly placed his ear against it, trying to listen and see if there was anyone on the other side. He heard nothing. He slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

Books. Thousands of books. Everywhere. For a moment his mind instinctually wandered back to Hermione as he opened the door further. He simply stood and stared, he had never seen a library of this magnitude before, not even at Hogwarts.

"What the-"

Harry spun around at the sound. At the end of the corridor stood three people- all dressed in black, all staring at him with as much shock as Harry felt. His heart leapt in his chest. Without thinking, Harry spun back around and ran into the huge room, slamming the door shut behind him. There was no manual lock on the door, so Harry turned and ran. He ran straight for one of the aisles, running as hard as he could. The library was absolutely massive. Harry could hear the door opening and people shouting- they were splitting up. Harry turned down another aisle, and then another. A red light flew past him.

Harry didn't look back, just kept running down random aisles, trying to mix up his path to make it harder to follow. He turned down one aisle and immediately regretted it. Spells of all colors started flying past him, crashing into the shelves around him. Some books were screaming, making strange noises as they were attacked. Breathing heavily, Harry spun around and ran down two more aisles and stopped, crouching and peeking through the books on a shelf. He saw someone in black race past him on the other side of the shelf and then disappear. Harry tried to keep his breathing quiet but he was panting from the running and panic.  _This was a horrible idea…_ he thought to himself. Voldemort had even told him Death Eaters were in the building… how had he forgotten?! Someone was even in Voldemort's rooms this morning! Oh, Harry was stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.

He stayed crouched where he was for a few minutes, not daring to make a sound. In the distance he heard two people talking, trying to decide what to do. Should he make a run for it now? While they weren't expecting it? Harry was about to stand and make a break for it when he was suddenly thrown backwards into the air. His back slammed into a bookshelf before his body fell to the ground, books falling on top of him. He heard a maniacal laugh.

A sharp pain radiated up the back of Harry's throbbing head. He looked up and saw a woman walking towards him, she had wild unruly black hair and Harry could see teeth that looked completely rotten through her exorbitantly pleased smile. Harry could hear footsteps running, coming closer. He clumsily stood from his place on the ground and spun around ready to run. As soon as he stood a wave of dizziness overcame him and he fell sideways into a bookshelf. Again he heard the laughter echo behind him as he shook his head. He stood once more, head slightly clearer this time and ran. A spell hit him square in the back and he screamed. Ugly red welts sprung up over his skin, each shooting a sharp pain through his body. Harry stumbled and fell to his knees. The pain stayed for a few moments before both it and the welts vanished.

He tried once more to stand but failed miserably as he collapsed into a heap on the ground, head pounding. Lying on his back he stared towards the high ceiling, everything around him moving and spinning. Through the ringing in his ears he heard people talking, and suddenly saw all three of his attackers staring down at him. Two men, one woman… the woman terrified him. He saw a wand pointed down at him and shut his eyes, tensed. He heard screaming from somewhere. Agonized screaming. It took him a few moments to realize it was coming from him. Suddenly his mind caught up and a wave of pain hit him, every nerve ending on fire. Harry writhed on the floor. His mind was nothing but pain, nothing but sharp burning sensations traveling through every nerve of his body. He heard yelling, deep dangerous yelling. The pain stopped and Harry took in a huge breath, the feeling similar to coming up for air after being held under water.

He could feel his body twitching in the aftereffects, every muscle in his body was tense and sore. Each breath and movement hurt, but at least the fire was gone.

Harry felt something heavy wrap around him, hissing in his ear. He could still hear angry yelling, but now there was a chorus of accompanying screams. Why was everything so loud?

Harry moaned and slowly moved his hands towards his throbbing head. Everything hurt so badly.

Harry cracked open his eyes. Someone tall stood blocking Harry's vision. He could see a familiar wand extended downwards towards three people cowering on the ground, looking as though they were in severe pain. The tall man started yelling again and Harry screwed his eyes shut. Suddenly he felt a wave of nausea hit him. He fought against his sore muscles and the heavy weight surrounding him in a fight to raise himself up. He placed his hands on the green scales, hauled himself over top of the object, and proceeded to vomit onto the floor. The sounds in the room stopped for a moment, but then Harry heard someone yelling once more, somehow sounding even angrier and more dangerous this time. Harry winced, afraid that whoever was yelling would come after him next. He tried to move, but was held down by whatever was wrapped around him.

Harry's world became foggy and he gave up, leaning his head against the scales.

Voldemort was seething.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" He screamed, not entirely sure which Death Eater his wand was pointing towards- he didn't entirely care at this point.

Somewhere in his mind Voldemort registered Rabastan falling backwards, an empty expression on his face. The sound of the body connecting with the floor of the library seemed to break Voldemort's anger. He stood staring at the other two Death Eaters cowering on the ground, still twitching from the aftereffects of the Cruciatus.

"My Lord, we are so sorry. My Lord, it was an accident, we didn't realize- I didn't know! I'm so sorry Master!"

" _SILENCE!_ " Voldemort roared. "What would make you think I wish to hear your pathetic excuses Bellatrix?!"

The crazed woman smartly stayed silent from her spot on the floor. Voldemort couldn't stand to look at her sniveling and his black robes swirled outward as he spun around. He looked to the floor and saw his poor Harry lying passed out across Nagini.

Voldemort bent and gently rolled the boy over, placing one hand under his knees and the other behind Harry's back. He lifted the lightweight child from the floor,  _'Come, Nagini',_ he hissed before apparating all three back to his quarters.

Popping into the room, Voldemort headed for the bed. He laid Harry down gently, and lifted his wand.

"Enervate."

Harry's eyes slowly opened. Voldemort sat upon the side of the bed while waiting for the boy to gather his bearings.

' _Is snakeling hurt, Master?'_

' _I think he will be ok, Nagini…'_ said the man as the snake made her way onto the bed.

Harry moaned as he opened his eyes further, the light in the room sending waves of sharp pain to his head.

"Bright…" he mumbled.

"What?"

"-'s too bright…" Voldemort understood this time and waved his wand, the lights in the room dimming.

Harry tried to sit up, but stopped immediately when his head throbbed. "Nghh, my head hurts…" he said quietly.

"I think you have a concussion, Harry."

"Uhnnggg…"

Harry felt a wave of nausea overcome him.  _Oh no.._. he thought as he covered his mouth and leaned over the side of the bed. In an instant there was a bucket sitting on the ground, waiting for him. He became violently ill once more.

Panting, Harry could feel a hand threading through his hair… it felt good. The bucket vanished and the boy sat up and leaned back into the pillows.

"Yes, definitely a concussion." Voldemort said as a potion appeared in his hand, summoned from who knows where. He uncorked it and handed it to Harry. "This will make the headache go away."

A small part of Harry's mind resisted, not trusting Voldemort enough to drink an unknown potion, but the larger part of Harry's mind either trusted the man or was too desperate to erase the throbbing from his head.

Harry's face curled into an unattractive frown as he swallowed and tried not to gag, it tasted like some of Hagrid's home cooked meals. He handed the vial back to Voldemort and sighed as the potion worked its magic. He could feel the headache begin to lessen and leaned further back into the pillows.

"It tastes horrid, but it will make you heal much faster…" Voldemort commented.

Harry's mind was a haze, but he knew what had happened. He remembered exiting the room and ending up in the library, and he certainly remembered being chased by the Death Eaters.

"Mm sorry" he said quietly. Wait a minute, why was he apologizing to the man who locked him in a room? Who was holding him captive?

"We'll discuss it later."

Harry didn't like the sound of that.


	12. Chapter 12

Harry rested in Voldemort's bed for the next few hours, falling in and out of sleep. His head and stomach both slowly beginning to feel better, and after all his complaining about the bed, he had to admit it was comfortable… not that he would ever say that out loud.

He sighed as he rolled over, unfortunately right on top of something large and scaly.

' _HEY!'_

' _GAH! Sorry Nagini'_

' _Snakeling needs to open his eyes!'_

' _I said I was sorry!'_

' _You could have crushed Nagini!'_

' _Oh Merlin, stop being so dramatic… you are three times as big as I am. I said sorry.'_

' _Would you two just stop?'_ Harry looked up. Voldemort was sitting at his desk watching the argument. _'You start arguing quite literally from the moment you both become conscious. Is it absolutely impossible for you two to get along?'_

' _Yes.'_ Harry said stubbornly as he sat up. Nagini hissed at him as she slid off the bed, obviously not wanting to be near Harry anymore that he wanted to be near her.

"I take it you're feeling better?" Voldemort said, suddenly standing beside the bed. Harry paused, realizing both his headache and the fogginess were completely gone.

"Yeah, I think so. Uh, sorry about getting sick by the way…" he said awkwardly, unfortunately remembering vomiting all over the floor of the library.

"While unpleasant, I hardly think you could have prevented it."

Suddenly, Voldemort's cold hand was under Harry's chin, lifting the boy's head. He was forced to look directly into Voldemort's crimson eyes and instantly tried to pull away, the intense eye contact making him feel awkward. "Ugg, get off," Harry complained and surprisingly, Voldemort let go.

"You look much better." The man said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Yeah… so what happened?" Instantly he regretted the question, knowing he was bringing trouble upon himself. He remembered Voldemort's ominous comment from earlier- 'we'll discuss it later'… Harry REALLY didn't want to discuss it.

"You don't remember? You don't remember leaving this room? Which was strictly and quite obviously forbidden? Did that simply slip your mind?" Harry sat silently. "That was not a rhetorical question Harry." Voldemort said, his tone threatening.

_Oh Merlin… here we go,_ Harry thought. He was in for it, and he knew it.

"Um, yeah I remember…" he said quietly, looking down towards the sheets pooled around his waist, trying to avoid eye contact.

"I thought so. And did I not tell you that Death Eaters were roaming the manor?"

"Uh, yeah…" he remembered the woman screaming during the Death Eater's 'fun'.

"And yet you still left this room."

Harry waited in silence for Voldemort to continue, when nothing happened he looked up. The man was standing there, staring down at Harry with a severely displeased expression, obviously waiting for a response from the boy. Harry felt very small…

"Yes…"

"Why?"

"Uhh…" Harry panicked, truly not knowing what to say. The moment he realized the door had been unlocked he didn't think, he just acted. It was his Gryffindor nature- he didn't think for a moment about the Death Eaters, about the possible danger.  _Of course_  the Death Eaters would attack him the instant they saw the Boy Who Lived running around their Lord's manor... he was starting to see that it had truly been a horrible decision.  _If I hadn't been locked in the room in the first place this wouldn't have happened!_

"Harry do you understand that when I ask a question I expect an answer?"

Harry snapped out of his thoughts. He was pushing his luck. "Um, the door was unlocked?"

Voldemort looked down upon the boy, unamused by the lackluster answer, "The door was unlocked. That's why you left. Even though you knew you weren't supposed to."

"Yes."

"Harry…"

"Well you never let me out!" he snapped and he instantly wanted to take it back. Yelling at the Dark Lord was never a smart decision.

"Do you see what would happen if I let you run loose? You're lucky you're not dead."

Harry knew Voldemort was right, but was still angry nonetheless. "GAH!" the boy ripped the silk sheets from him and stood up in front of the Dark Lord. He puffed his chest out and clenched his fists, trying to look as dangerous as he felt. "How do you expect me to sit in this bloody room all the time?!"

"You look ridiculous."

Harry wasn't sure what came over him, he was just so furious. He let out a yell, put all his weight forward, and shoved the Dark Lord.

Harry, slightly surprised it had even worked, watched as Voldemort stumbled backwards a few steps. It wasn't until Voldemort gained his balance and looked into the boy's eyes that Harry realized what he had done. He let out a scream as Voldemort lunged towards him.

Harry jumped back onto the bed and clamored across it. He screamed again as he felt two hands grab his leg out from under him. He collapsed onto the bed and was flipped over in an instant.

"LET GO!" Harry wailed as he thrashed his arms and legs, hitting Voldemort wherever he could reach. Voldemort grabbed his wrists and pinned them down to his sides.

"LET. ME. GO. YOU BLOODY SNAKE!" Voldemort only answered by sitting on Harry's legs, effectively holding them still. "GET OFF OF ME!"

"HARRY STOP." Harry tried desperately to move out from under the man, but Voldemort was much too strong. Voldemort released one of Harry's wrists and grabbed his chin, forcing the boy once again to look him in the eyes. "STOP."

Breathing heavily, Harry unsuccessfully attempted to move his head, only causing Voldemort's grip to tighten. "Stop struggling you stupid boy!" Voldemort yelled into the boy's face.

Harry paused for a moment, finally looking into Voldemort's eyes. He realized how close the man was… he didn't like it. "Geh off ah meh." he said, his words coming out muffled by the grip on his jaw.

"No."

His heart was flying as he screwed his eyes shut, he really didn't like how close Voldemort was… it scared him.

"Harry look at me!"

"No…" he muffled, no longer struggling, but the muscles in his body tense under the man.

"Harry…" Voldemort's tone was threatening. Harry's breathing was coming much too fast now, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't like this, he didn't like being held down, being screamed at. It reminded him of the Dursleys… of Vernon's punishments.

"Please geh off..." Harry sounded small. The pleading tone took Voldemort by surprise, still expecting the brash Gryffindor to be screaming in his face.

Suddenly in Harry's mind it wasn't Voldemort commanding over him, it was his uncle.

" _You fucking piece of worthless trash! Why don't you use your magic, huh?! Why don't you throw a spell at me?! Make me stop?! You're worthless! Fucking worthless!"_

He felt tears forming in his eyes as he felt the man's weight shift off of him. As soon as he was free Harry scrambled up from the bed. He looked to Voldemort who was standing on the other side of the bed looking only slightly less angry and a bit confused.

Harry wiped the tears from him cheeks while trying to take deep breaths. "Don't fucking do that again."

Voldemort didn't respond, he just stood looking at the boy.

Harry was angry and scared. He didn't know what had just happened, he didn't know what was going on, he didn't know anything anymore- he felt so lost and confused.

"Harry I want-"

"Would you just fucking leave me alone! Don't touch me again! I swear I'll kill you if you touch me! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE."

"You're pushing your luck boy."

"I DON'T CARE! WHY DON'T YOU JUST KILL ME?! I'M SO TIRED OF ALL OF THIS! I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING! JUST KILL ME ALREADY!"

"I'm not going to do that."

Harry screamed in frustration. "WHY?!"

"Because you're mine to protect!"

"I AM NOT YOURS! I DO NOT BELONG TO YOU!"

"Yes you do! Get it through your stubborn head boy, YOU ARE MINE!" Voldemort yelled, quickly stomping to the other side of the bed where Harry stood.

"I AM NOT! I DO NOT BELONG TO YOU! WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE?!"

"BECAUSE YOU'RE MY HORCRUX HARRY OF COURSE I CARE!"

Harry froze.

"A what?"


	13. Chapter 13

"A what?" Voldemort just stared. Harry was suddenly terrified by the crimson eyes- they were uncharacteristically panicked. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

Silence.

"What is that?! What does that mean?! Answer me!"

"Nothing. It means nothing."

Harry instantly knew. "That's the reason you keep me here isn't it?! The reason you lock me up! Why you're so hell-bent on 'protecting' me!"

The two just stared each other down, neither budging. Suddenly Voldemort let out a breath that sounded as if he had held it for years.

"You're my horcrux, Harry."

"What does that mean? What  _is_ that?!"

Voldemort seemed hesitant to continue but said, "A horcrux is a piece of a person's soul residing in another object." Harry just stood dumbfounded, completely confused once again. Voldemort sounded tired, like he had been dreading this moment for his entire existence. "You are my horcrux, Harry, which means you have a part of my soul inside of you."

Harry's mouth dropped, not even beginning to comprehend the madness spilling from Voldemort's mouth. "What?"

"Many years ago I heard of a prophecy that involved myself… myself and you. That prophecy is the reason I went to Godric's Hollow that night when you were a baby, it is the reason I attempted to murder you. The prophecy proclaimed that you had the power to defeat me, and understandably I wanted to make sure that never came to fruition." Voldemort paused.

"Well then what the bloody hell happened?! Why did everything change?! Why did you stop trying to kill me?!"

"Because I found out you were my horcrux. I could not kill you once I knew, quite the opposite in fact- I needed to find and protect you immediately. You have a part of my  _soul_ Harry…"

Harry's mouth was still open in shock. "…you have got to be kidding."

"Unfortunately I am not. Do you now understand why I did not wish to tell you earlier?"

Harry just stared for a few moments before bursting out, "Wait, I HAVE A PART OF YOUR SOUL?!" It was as if the words had just now sunk in fully.

"Yes. I-"

"HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!"

"When I-"

"OH MY GOD. WHAT IS HAPPENING?! HOW IS THIS- WHAT IS- WHAT IS GOING ON? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!" Harry screamed, clutching his chest like he could suddenly feel the part of Voldemort inside him.

"If you will just let me explain I can-"

"NO! I DON'T WANT IT! GET IT OUT OF ME!"

Voldemort looked at the panicked wide eyed boy and suddenly struggled to repress a chuckle.

"ARE YOU LAUGHING?!"

"No." Voldemort said, his usual stoic face returning. "You don't understand Harry, it is not something I can just take out of you. It's not something I can take back."

"Well you have to do something because I am NOT living with you inside of me!"

"You have been for almost your entire life."

Harry stared at the man- how was this even possible? Why him? Why did everything always happen to him?! "Oh… my… god…"

"I have been forced to keep you protected because if something should happen to you, then that part of my soul would die as well. I cannot let that happen."

"So you don't care at all about me? Just your stupid soul?!" Why did he sound so defensive? And why the hell did it matter if Voldemort didn't care about him?

"Does that upset you?"

"I- NO! I just…"

"I never said I do not care for you, Harry. You are incredibly annoying, but yet I haven't exactly minded having you around the past few days… excluding your little stunt with the Death Eaters."

The small joke seemed to erase the tension in the room.

"…did you just admit that you like me?"

"Never. I said no such thing."

"I can kill your soul you know, you better like me."

Voldemort's slight humor was gone in an instant. "That's  _another_ reason why I do not allow you out of this room- I do not trust you not to harm yourself, either intentionally or unintentionally."

"Hm." Harry took a deep breath as his body settled, his mind still flying.

"You seem calmer now… I did not wish to tell you- you now see why I kept it from you."

"I just… I'm still confused. I don't understand this cruxing thing."

"Horcrux."

"Whatever."

"You'll be pleased to know that Nagini is another of my horcruxes."

"WHAT?! You have more?!"

"Yes, not that it's any concern of yours."

"So what does that mean? Is that why Nagini and I don't get along?"

Voldemort cackled, "Oh no, you two don't get along because you're both too stubborn for your own good."

"Well we probably got that part from you and your stupid soul…"

The amusement vanished from Voldemort's face. "Unnecessary and untrue."

Harry raised his eyebrow in a challenge. "So anyway, I have a piece of your soul inside me? What does that even mean? If it comes from you I'm surprised it doesn't hurt."

"If you push my patience too far I will make sure it hurts." Voldemort crossed his arms. "And it simply means that your body protects that portion of my soul. As long as you are alive then my soul is as well, if you die it dies. You protect it."

"Like you protect me."

Voldemort looked curiously at the boy, "Yes. It also gives you special abilities, such as the ability to speak Parseltongue."

"That comes from you?"

"Yes, it does. You should thank me for the opportunity to speak with Nagini so often…"

"Hmph. No thank you. You could've kept that part. So how all of a sudden did you find out I had your soul anyway? Wouldn't you kinda know that from the start?"

"I simply put the signs together. You and I have always been connected."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, even from the start- your wand for instance. Our wands are brothers, they have the same core."

"Yeah, I remember Mr. Ollivander telling me that."

"Exactly. And then there's the fact that I can read your mind-"

"I don't like that part so much."

Voldemort continued as if not interrupted. "Plus I can feel you, and by that I mean I can feel your emotions through the mind link, which is how I knew about the Dementor attack- I could feel your fear. I knew something was different about you quite literally from the beginning… the fact that I could not cast the Killing Curse on you for one. In the end I simply put the pieces together."

Harry shook his head and walked over to one of the armchairs in the room and plopped down, placing his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. "My head hurts…"

"It is a lot to take in, especially after all that has happened today. We can discuss it another time."

Harry stared at the floor, trying to soak it all in. His mind was a whirl of information and confusion, but at the same time things made a bit more sense. He finally understood why Voldemort was so protective of him, and he honestly couldn't really blame the man. It was weird, but now that he understood it was a huge relief. He was still confused about what the horcrux meant and what it entailed, but he didn't feel angry or sad or anything, for the moment he simply felt relieved to finally know what was going on. Harry hadn't noticed Voldemort's presence until he felt a hand in his hair.

For once Harry didn't pull away, instead he sat unmoving, staring at the floor. There was an unfamiliar part of him that felt different, something which felt like it had been there but that he hadn't noticed before… or maybe he had, with the voice. He felt warm. He felt it as soon as Voldemort touched him, something in him felt relieved, like it wanted Voldemort to be close, just like when the voice would visit him. Whenever it was near Harry felt warm, protected, entranced.

"This is weird." He mumbled.

"Yes, yes it is."

* * *

"So is that why Nagini says I smell like you?"

From his seat behind his desk, Voldemort rubbed his temples and sighed. "You sure do have a lot of questions about this…"

"Well it's a part of your soul! It's weird! I think when a person plants a part of their soul into another person they deserve an explanation!"

"Yes, I believe that is why you 'smell' like me to Nagini. You are a part of me after all. The night I brought you here after the Dementor attack she almost immediately sensed the horcrux. I suppose you could say she's your 'sister' in a way…"

"Um, no. Don't tell her that. She's annoying enough as it is without complaining about being 'related' to me."

"Fine. You two are 'connected' then. She's attracted to you, which is one of the reasons I believe you two annoy each other so much."

"EW! She's attracted to me?! A SNAKE?!"

"No, Harry not-" Voldemort covered his face with his hands. Sometimes he forgot the boy was only twelve. "Just never mind. We're not discussing this any longer!"

"But I-"

"NO! No more!"

"Fine."


	14. Chapter 14

"So your birthday is coming up soon."

Harry jumped backwards as he heard the voice. He had been petting Nagini and by no means wanted to be caught actually getting along with the snake… he had a reputation to uphold.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "I saw you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know you two are getting along, don't try to hide it."

' _Master! Snakeling is much nicer than before! He is much more polite!'_

Harry rolled his eyes,  _'Would you shut up?!'_

' _But I-'_

' _He's being nicer is he?'_ Voldemort said with an evil smirk towards Harry.  _'Tell me about it.'_

' _No, that's really not nec-'_

' _Snakeling is a lot nicer! He pets well…'_

' _Ah, I bet he does…'_

"You can stop now you know. You've made your point."

"What ever do you mean Harry?" Voldemort said innocently. It was an odd sound coming from the Dark Lord.

"Just say 'I told you so' and get on with it."

Voldemort smirked, "So as I was saying, your birthday is in a few days."

Harry paused. "What? It is?"

"Mhmm" Voldemort said as he sat at his desk, Nagini slithering over to him.

"Oh…"  _So I've been here around a week? Maybe a little more?_ Harry thought, trying to add the days that seemed to mesh together.

"Just thought I'd mention it."

"Uh, thanks. So, I have another question about the horcrux."

Voldemort looked at the boy hesitantly. Harry had had  _a lot_ of questions about the horcrux at first and Voldemort was afraid to get the boy started again. Last time Voldemort was sure Harry asked questions for two days straight.

"One question?"

Harry huffed. "I'll keep it short this time."

"Alright then, go ahead."

"So, I've been thinking the past few days and, well, I was just wondering…" Harry's voice trailed off.

"Wondering what?"

"I just, I was wondering, ugh. Ok, so you said Dumbledore knew of the prophecy too right? About me being the one who could defeat you? So that's why I'm everyone's 'Savior' and why I was, er, _am,_ so important to the Order. That makes sense and all but, why do you think they had me fight? They used to send me into battles against your Death Eaters even though I've only been practicing magic for a couple years… I didn't understand. You would think they would have trained me more before sending me out to find you right? Do you think- do you think Dumbledore sent me out into battles on purpose?"

Voldemort looked curiously at the boy. "You aren't making sense."

"I mean, do you think he purposefully sent me out to fight too soon? Knowing I would probably get hurt, or even die? Do you think he knew about the horcrux?"

Voldemort was amazed. Harry was wise far beyond his thirteen years. "I am certain Dumbledore knows of my horcruxes. He's been attempting to destroy them for years. Luckily he's only gotten to one… but nevertheless, I would not put it past the old fool to do as you say. Dumbledore is old and bothersome but even I must admit that he is intelligent, I would be shocked if he had not figured out you were one of my horcruxes."

Harry flopped into one of the large armchairs behind him. "Dumbledore knew…" he said quietly, "He knew that I had to die in order for you to die… that's why he sent me out to fight. He wanted me to die."

"Dumbledore is not the man you think he is, Harry." Harry smirked at the choice of words. He had heard that phrase from Voldemort once before in a time that seemed so long ago… a time when Dumbledore was a hero and Voldemort was the enemy, a time when everything was so confusing. Things weren't as confusing and grey for Harry anymore...

"I just thought he really supported me, that he really thought I could win. Instead he sent out a child to fight your army so that he wouldn't have to kill me himself… so that someone else could do it."

Voldemort walked over and took a seat in the chair opposite Harry. He could feel Harry becoming closer to him, understanding more each day of what was going on around him, understanding the lies he had been fed for so long.

"I remember the first few times I went out with some of the Order on missions, most of them disagreed with the decision to let me go since I was so young. I guess they trusted Dumbledore though… I guess they thought he knew what he was doing…"

"I don't intend to use you as a tool Harry. I won't use you like he did."

"I know." And somehow Harry knew it was true.

The two sat in silence for a minute as Harry contemplated his situation. Little by little all the things he thought were true were either changing or becoming lies. How could he have trusted Dumbledore for so long? How could he have put such blind faith into one person? He should have known better. It was as if Dumbledore and Voldemort had switched places. Suddenly Dumbledore was the man who had been trying to kill him for years, and Voldemort was the one now protecting him. Harry's world had done a complete 180 degree turn in such a short amount of time, but something seemed right about it now. It was as if suddenly everything made sense, deep down he knew he was in the right place. He was supposed to be with Voldemort. That didn't mean Dumbledore wasn't pissing him off though.

"It just- it just makes me so fucking mad!"

"Language, Harry."

He stood from his seat. "Well, IT DOES! How could he?! How could Dumbledore have lied for so long?! How could I have been so stupid?" The boy's hands were gripped tightly in his hair.

"Harry." Voldemort stood from the chair and put his hands on Harry's, gently trying to pry the boy's fingers from his dark hair.

"GAH! How did this happen?!"

"Harry, I think you forget you're a child. You grew up fighting for the Order, absorbing their views, their lies. You understand more now because you're older, wiser. Even I did not know of the horcrux until recently… do not blame yourself, things change young one."

"I won't let them use me anymore. I won't."

Voldemort had to repress a slight smile. "I am glad you understand the truth now. I want you safe, which you will not be with them."

Harry shook his head.  _Fucking Dumbledore…_ "OW!" Harry gripped the side of his head where Voldemort had flicked him roughly.

"What did I say about your language? Do not forget I can hear you."

Harry simply rolled his eyes as he rubbed his sore head.

"For someone so young you truly do have a mouth on you."

"I hardly curse!"

"I  _meant_ your stubbornness and attitude. But yes, your Muggle curses are irritating to say the least."

Harry gave Voldemort a look. "I think you're being dramatic."

"Don't look at me like that. You have the potential to be extraordinary Harry, but no one will listen to a wizard spouting Muggle curses everywhere."

"So I can curse as long as it's not with Muggle words."

"That is not what I said."

"That's what it sounded like."

Voldemort whipped his wand out before Harry could take his next breath. "I will be happy to show you curses you've never dreamed of if you do not silence yourself."

Harry's eyes crossed as the tip of the bone wand moved closer to his forehead. He knew Voldemort wasn't entirely serious, but at the same time he wasn't going to push the man too far. He raised his hands innocently, "Ok ok ok. No need to get all Dark Lord on me, I'm not a Death Eater."

Voldemort's jaw clenched. Standing up to his full height, Voldemort placed his hand on the top of Harry's head and stepped forward, pushing the boy backwards and behind him onto the floor.

Harry landed face first onto the floor. "HEY! I'm your horcrux remember! You can't hurt me!"

Voldemort continued towards the door.  _'Nagini, do me a favor and eat him.'_ He said over his shoulder to the snake resting by the fireplace as he exited the room.


	15. Chapter 15

"Harry. Harry wake up."

Face shoved into a pillow, Harry unsuccessfully tried to open his eyes. He turned his head to the side, "Wha?"

"Wake up, it may be your birthday but I refuse to allow you to sleep past noon."

Harry turned his head back into the pillow, mumbling something unintelligible.

"No, no no no. Get up." Voldemort said as he grabbed the boy by the shoulders and flipped him over. He wandlessly opened the curtains on the other side of the room, allowing the bright light to enter.

"AHH!" Harry shouted as he shielded his eyes from the light.

"I must leave but I will be back shortly. Get up, get dressed, take a shower, and eat. I will be back by the time you are done."

"No…"

"Harry, Nagini is here and knows that you must be out of bed in five minutes. I have told her to bother you as much as possible until you get up."

Harry opened one eye and finally looked at the man, "That's cruel."

"Yes well, I am a Dark Lord."

' _Nagini, help him wake up.'_

' _Yes Master! Little snakeling wake up!'_ Nagini hissed as she climbed onto the bed.  _'You can pet me again! You are good at it! Yes, Nagini likes when you pet her!'_

' _You two have fun…'_

Harry could hear Voldemort chuckling as the door closed.

After only ten minutes of Nagini's constant chatter, Harry couldn't take any more. He pulled himself from the bed and made his way to the bathroom- slamming the door in the still-talking snake's face. He turned the water on, still quite groggy, and climbed into the large glass shower.

Several minutes later he exited the bathroom, water from his wet hair dripping onto his shirt. Tippy was a quick learner, as she had his favorite breakfast of porridge and egg on toast waiting for him. He sighed contentedly as he took the first delicious bite.

As he was finishing the last bit the door opened and Voldemort walked through holding packages in his hands.

"Wha ah thos?" Harry said, mouth full.

"Harry, for Merlin's sake do not speak while eating."

Harry swallowed. "Sorry. What are those?" He said, gesturing to the packages.

"They're for you."

"What?!" The boy said, jumping from his seat.

"It's your birthday so I thought you'd appreciate something to open."

Harry ran over to the man, "Seriously?"

"Yes, of course."

He looked at the gifts in awe, a bit of sadness crossing his features. "I've… I've never gotten a birthday present before…"

Voldemort just looked at the boy. Of course he hadn't gotten a birthday gift, he was always at the Dursleys in July. Anger boiled inside of Voldemort, soon he himself would pay a little visit to Harry's 'family'…

"Well, you have them now."

Harry face lit up once more and he grabbed the first box. He tore into it without hesitation, throwing the wrapping onto the floor.

"Whoa…." He said as he looked at the bright red book entitled  _Chasing Destiny._

"By Avery Hawksworth, Captain of the En-"

"Captain and Chaser for the English National Quidditch team…"

"Ah," Voldemort said with a smirk, "so you've heard of him."

"He's brilliant. Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

Before long Harry was sitting happily on the floor with wrappings, boxes, and gifts surrounding him. He looked like a child on Christmas morning. Aside from the Quidditch book Voldemort had gotten him three new sets of robes- "Don't think I don't realize this is Slytherin green," Harry said after opening the last set. They were spectacular robes, each made of the finest materials and embellishments of which he knew only the richest of wizards and witches were able to own. There were also piles of candy around the boy, enough to certainly last him a few months- everything from fizzing whizbees, to chocolate frogs, to pepper imps.

"Waw, dis is aw so amaling!" Harry said through a mouthful of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

Voldemort wanted to scold the boy for talking with his mouth full, again, but he decided to let it slide this once. Harry looked extremely happy.

"I have something else for you." Voldemort said, pulling out a rectangular box from somewhere behind him.

Harry took it from the man's hands, pulled the ribbon from the top, opened the box, and gasped.

"MY WAND!" His mouth hung open as he pulled his holly and phoenix feather wand out of the box. A tingling sensation immediately traveled up the length of his arm bringing a smile to his face. "How did you get it?!"

"Do you doubt me, Harry Potter?" Voldemort replied with a smirk.

"I thought it was gone! I figured the Dursleys had destroyed it!" He gave it a swish and red sparks flew from the end.

"Now before you start getting any ideas, let me inform you that I have placed security spells on it."

Harry looked to the man, face falling slightly. "I can't do certain magic with it?"

"You can do most magic, but you will be unable to harm myself or any of my followers. You also cannot perform any unlocking spells… we wouldn't want a repeat of the library incident now would we?"

Harry looked back to his wand, stroking the wood softly. "No, I guess not."

"Good. Now, I have one last thing for you…"

" _Another_ present?! I already have so much!"

"Yes well, I think you'll like this one best." Voldemort snapped his fingers and the door flew open. Harry jumped when a bright white owl soared into the room.

"HEDWIG!" he shouted as he jumped to his feet. The snowy white owl flew straight towards him and landed on his outstretched arm. She quickly jumped up to his shoulder and began nibbling playfully at the boy's ear. Harry burst into a fit of laughter. "AH! I know I know I missed you too!" he said as he ran his hand over the bird's soft feathers.

"I bought food for her. Oh and some treats, thought you and her would both appreciate that."

After she was finished loving on her master, Hedwig hooted her approval and flew to rest upon a bedpost "Thank you so much!" Harry turned and said to Voldemort. "I just- thank you!"

"You're very welcome."

"No really, this is a lot of stuff! Too much! You didn't have to get me all this!"

"Just take it and stop thinking about it."

Harry looked around him at all that was scattered across the floor. To a normal Muggle or Wizard child it may not seem like a whole lot, just some candy, a book, and clothes, but to Harry it meant everything. It meant someone cared enough to buy him presents on his birthday, something he had never experienced. It made him feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Wow…" Voldemort watched as the emotions passed across Harry's face, from pure joy to sadness and everything in between. "Really, thank you so much." the boy said, struggling to keep the emotion from his voice.

"You're welcome" Voldemort said quietly. The room was silent for a few moments as Voldemort let Harry be, knowing that the boy was not used to this.

' _Happy Hatch Day snakeling!'_ Nagini said as she finally slithered her way over.

Harry smiled down upon the animal who he was slowly starting to grow attached to.  _'Thank you Nagini'_

' _How old is snakeling now?'_

' _I'm thirteen…'_

' _HA! Snakeling is a baby… Nagini is much older than that!'_

' _Nagini, come here and let the poor boy be.'_ Voldemort said, reaching a hand out towards the snake.

She slithered over to the man and allowed herself to be picked up enough so that she could wrap her long body around his shoulders.

' _You better not eat my owl'_ Harry said suddenly, realizing having the two animals in the same area could lead quickly to trouble.

' _Nagini knows better. I've spoken with her about it. Plus, I put a protection charm around the owl just in case… I don't trust this one.'_ Voldemort said as he gently plucked Nagini on the nose. Harry chuckled as he heard the snake begin to grumble in Parseltongue.

The trio sat in quiet for a while, Harry flipping through his new book while Voldemort stroked Nagini.

"Well, Harry, I have a meeting to attend shortly." Voldemort spoke suddenly, breaking the contented silence.

"Oh… ok."

Voldemort took note of the boy's slight disappointment. "I will be back around dinner, so I will see you later tonight. When I return I suggest you try on your new set of summer robes, I want to take you somewhere."

"What?! We're going somewhere?"

"Not far- don't get your hopes up. We won't be leaving the grounds, but nevertheless it would be a good time to try on your robes."

"Ok."

Voldemort lifted Nagini from his shoulders and placed her on the ground. Standing, he said, "I will be back shortly. Enjoy your gifts, don't eat too many sweets please. I do not wish to deal with a sick child again…"

"I won't…" and Voldemort was gone in an instant.

Harry spent the next few hours enjoying his presents- particularly his wand. Oh how he had missed it! He practiced a few minor spells, trying to get back into the correct mindset for magic after being away from Hogwarts for a few months. Hedwig hooted happily as she watched Harry play around, quite content on his birthday.

Shortly after dinner he decided to change into his new robes as Voldemort had asked. He looked at the three sets that were laid out upon the bed- two for summer and one obviously for winter.

_Voldemort must expect me to be here for a while…_ Harry thought idly. He looked down at the two lightweight sets- one navy and the other Slytherin green. Harry stared at the robes for a moment trying to determine which ones to wear.

"Hedwig? What do you think?" The owl simply looked at the boy and hooted. "Yeah… you're not much help. I think I'm going to go with the green ones… Voldemort will like those best." As Harry reached for the robes he realized what he had said- Why was he even bothering to think about what Voldemort would like? Was he trying to please the man?

Slightly frustrated with himself (but not changing his decision), Harry shook his head and took a deep breath, quickly changing his clothes.

When Voldemort returned he found the boy sprawled across the floor on his stomach reading his new book.

"I just bought you those robes and here you are lying on the floor while wearing them."

Harry closed the book quickly and jumped to his feet. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I like them though, thank you."

"Yes, me too. You look good in Slytherin green." Voldemort said absentmindedly.

"I thought you would say that.' Harry said, unamused. "So where are we going?"

"Patience child…"

"Oh, sorry…" Harry's control over his curiosity only last a few seconds. "But really where?!"

Voldemort chuckled, "You will see. Now follow me."

"Is Nagini coming?"

"Do you want her to come? Now that you two seem to be best friends and all?"

Harry frowned, why did the man have to rub it in his face that he was right? "She's not my 'friend'. No, I don't want her to come, let's go." He stomped past the man and into the hallway for only the second time.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Voldemort called out to the boy who was stubbornly marching himself down the corridor.

Harry stopped; as a matter of fact he had no idea where he was headed. He spun around and Voldemort gestured with his head to the opposite direction. He huffed and marched after the man, feigning great displeasure. Voldemort knew better, he knew the boy was bursting with excitement, dying to get out of the room.

As they walked down the grand halls Harry took in his surroundings, marveling at the impressive manor. He thought of the last time he was in these halls and quickly stole a glance over his shoulder, subconsciously moving closer towards Voldemort. "So um, are there any Death Eaters here?"

Voldemort took notice of the boy's actions and was glad he had learned his lesson from his last and hopefully only escapade. "Not at the moment, no."

"Oh, good." Harry said as they made their way down a flight of stairs. "Do they know I'm here? The Death Eaters that is?"

"No, they do not. I obliviated the particular memories of the ones who went after you in the library- not including the one I killed. I think it's best for the moment if they do not know of your presence."

"You killed one of them?!"

"Yes. I was… particularly angry that day."

"Wow."

"No thanks to a certain nosy, wandering boy."

"Well I feel touched." Harry said sarcastically.

They turned the corner and came upon two magnificent doors, which opened before Harry and Voldemort reached them and allowed a spectacular view of the outdoors. Harry couldn't believe they were actually going outside. He felt a hand on his shoulder, gently pulling him backwards. He looked behind him and noticed that he had sped up as soon as the doors had opened.

They exited the manor and walked around the side of the huge house along a stone walkway. Harry looked around him with wide eyes trying to take everything in. He turned his head and saw the grand garden he had often admired from the window of the room.

"Whoa…" He said as he gazed upon the bright vegetation.

"I see you have figured out where we are going."

Harry gasped. "The garden?! We're going to the garden?" He didn't care this time- he broke into a run, the feeling slightly foreign after being cooped up for so long. He slowed as he came upon the garden, looking above him as two grand willow trees marked the entrance with their hanging leaves. He walked forward onto one of the many pathways that wound through the garden, admiring the neon flowers surrounding him. Harry had never seen flowers with such bright and vibrant petals, they had to be magical in some form. He turned down another path and ran his hands over the mysterious green plants that were on either side of him now. In some areas trees made a canopy over him of their wispy leaves and flowers, in other areas you could see the large green fields that surrounded the house, and then there were places in which tall green hedges loomed on either side of the pathway. He heard someone come up behind him.

"The gardens at Hogwarts don't even compare to this…" he said.

"No, they don't." Voldemort agreed.

The men continued to walk in silence for many more minutes, Harry completely mesmerized by the colors. Every time he turned down a new pathway he was astounded to see that the garden simply continued… it seemed never ending, it was huge. They wandered into a section with tall hedges that blocked their view of the area around them.

"So how big is this place? Does it ever end?"

"Only if you want it to." Harry turned to look at Voldemort, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"It's magic, Harry. If you want it to continue it will, if you wish to return back to the manor then you simply turn around and you're back at the entrance."

"So if I wanted to go back right now we'd just have to walk a few steps back the way we came?"

"Exactly."

Harry shook his head. "Magic is amazing…"

They continued their way, Harry asking questions every once in a while, his amazement of the garden hardly wearing off.

"Harry, it's getting late, it's about time we head back."

"Oh… yeah I guess you're right. Can we walk back though? I mean, do we have to do the magic thing?"

"It's up to you, the garden will do as you wish."

Harry turned around and walked a few steps forward, delighted when the garden stayed as it was. The first time through the garden Harry had walked in front of Voldemort, stopping and looking every once in a while, but now as they made their way back the two men walked closely side by side.

For once Harry had no more questions, so they made small talk for the majority of the way back, but after a while Harry felt a pressing need to say something more.

"So um, I really do want to thank you for today… it was the best birthday I've ever had."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Harry stopped walking and waited until Voldemort stopped as well and turned to face him. "Really though, I want you to know how important it was to me… how much it meant."

Voldemort studied the boy for a moment, "I understand Harry. Not that I enjoy recalling it, but as a young boy I was in a similar situation as you, I understand."

He didn't know why but Harry felt tears prickling in his eyes.

"Why are you upset?" Voldemort asked, stepping forward to the boy.

"I- I don't know. I really don't. Just… thank you." Harry stepped forward quickly and pushed his head to the man's chest. He wrapped his arms around Voldemort, gripping him tightly for only a moment before letting go. It was a quick hug, but a hug nonetheless.

Voldemort just stood shocked for a moment. The only time Harry had purposefully touched the man was when he had heard the woman scream and began to panic as the scream changed to the voice of his mother. Even then Voldemort wasn't sure Harry really knew what he was doing.

"We should be going…" he said, and Harry quickly blinked away the few tears in his eyes as the two continued on their way.

As they made their way back home Harry had a smile on his face. His thoughts were of his 'first birthday' and of the man walking beside him, but what he hadn't thought of, what he didn't realize, was that this was the first day since he had been rescued by Voldemort that he had not once thought of his old life. Not once during the day had Harry thought about his friends, Hogwarts, his professors. He had not thought of Dumbledore, not even of the rescuers both he and Voldemort knew were coming for him…

_Happy birthday, little one._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: **drowns in birthday fluff**
> 
> I would like to address something since I'm sure there might be a question or two about it. Voldemort himself did not go to the Dursley's home to get Harry's belongings- he sent a couple of his more responsible Death Eaters (I think he wants to deal with the Dursleys himself a little later WHAT WHO SAID THAT?!)


	16. Chapter 16

' _What is snakeling doing?'_

' _Shh... nothing. Go away.'_

' _Nagini doesn't think snakeling should be playing at Master's desk…'_

' _I don't care what you think. Now go away!'_

Not appreciating Harry's snappy tone Nagini hissed,  _'If snakeling gets into trouble with Master Nagini will only laugh'_

Harry rolled his eyes at the comment as he studied the desk before him. Voldemort was always sitting at the desk writing or reading papers and it drove Harry's curiosity crazy. What kind of paperwork could a Dark Lord possibly have to do? Was that part of the job requirements or something? Murder people and do paperwork? He had asked Voldemort a few times what he had been working on, but only ever received a short 'It's none of your concern' or was ignored completely. Harry had vowed he would find out what Voldemort did at this desk, if only to appease his own curiosity.

There were a few books atop the desk that he had glanced at, none of which seemed too important. Harry knew the important things were hidden in the drawers of the wooden desk. He knew it was probably locked, but nevertheless he reached his hand out towards the handle of the top drawer, knowing he had to hurry before Voldemort returned. He let out a yelp as he touched the handle and a bolt of electricity ran up his arm. He fell backwards onto the floor, ripping his hand away from the drawer.

"OWWW!" Harry cradled his arm to his chest as smaller shocks ran through the right side of his body. "Bloody Dark Lord…" he mumbled.

After a few moments Harry looked down to his arm. His eyes went wide at what he saw. His right arm was purple from the top of his fingers to the middle of his forearm, the color darkening every second. He used his other hand to uselessly try to rub the color away.

' _What was that noise?!'_ Nagini said with alarm, slithering her way back over to the boy. Harry stopped rubbing at his arm as he saw it was doing nothing. He stared at his purple arm and realized what had happened. Voldemort had anticipated Harry's curiosity would get the better of him and had put the charm on the desk. Voldemort would take one look at Harry and know what he had tried to do.

Knowing he had to get the color off quickly, he jumped from his spot on the floor and raced to the bathroom. In his haste he accidentally knocked Hedwig off her perch, sending her flying and hooting in anger around the room.

' _What is snakeling doing?! What is wrong with his arm?'_

' _Don't worry about it Nagini!'_ He shouted as he jumped over the snake blocking his way. He ran into the large bathroom and went straight to the sink. He turned the water on and willed a bar of soap to appear. He grabbed the soap and started scrubbing as hard as he could… it wasn't working. The color didn't fade in the slightest. He heard Nagini come up behind him.

' _What did Nagini say?! Nagini said snakeling shouldn't play at Master's desk!'_

Harry ignored the snake but wanted so desperately to rear his foot back and kick her in the face.

As he continued to desperately scrub his skin Harry's mind went through every spell he knew. Was there anything that could take care of this?!

Suddenly he felt a tingling warmth deep within him…  _Oh no. No no no no._

' _Master is coming and snakeling is going to be in much trouble!'_

Nagini didn't have to speak for Harry already knew, the horcrux had already told him that Voldemort was near. He hurriedly rinsed his arm free of soap and shut the water off just as he heard the door opening behind him. He spun around and plastered the most innocent smile he could manage onto his face.

Harry walked out of the bathroom with measured steps, his right arm tucked out of sight behind his back.

' _Hello Harry, Nagini.'_

' _Master! Snakeling is in much trouble!'_

Harry let out a short sound that resembled something akin to a dying creature.  _Stupid fucking snake!_

Voldemort looked from the snake to Harry.  _'Oh really? And why would he be in trouble?'_

' _Sna-'_

"Nagini is just angry because I beat her at a game we were playing." Harry spat out before the snake could explain further.

"A game, hmm?"

"Yes, she lost and she's been angry at me all day."

"What kind of game?" Voldemort asked, knowing it wasn't like the boy to admit he enjoyed the snake's company. Harry's eyes widened as he saw the man looking curiously at the arm tucked behind his back. His voice went up an octave as he spoke.

"Um, just a game. Uh, something I learned at the Dursleys."

' _What is snakeling saying?!'_ Nagini interjected but was ignored by both men.

"Hm." Voldemort looked at the boy suspiciously. Harry knew he was a terrible liar. "What are you holding behind your back?"

He stared at the man and quickly decided to feign innocence. "W-what?"

"Are you suddenly deaf? You heard me. Now what is behind your back?"

Harry took a step backwards as the man moved closer. "N-nothing."

"I do not appreciate being lied to Harry." Voldemort's tone was ice cold. As Harry scooted backwards he heard the bathroom door slam behind him. Voldemort was not going to allow Harry to hide in the bathroom as he did a couple weeks ago when he first arrived here.

"I'm not-"

"I advise you think before you finish that sentence."

Harry's back hit the bathroom door, his purple arm squished between his back and the door. After spending so much time with Voldemort he had forgotten how dangerous the man could look when provoked. Generally Harry had no fear of Voldemort, not anymore, but now was a completely different story.

"Harry I will give you one chance to show me what you have. I promise you will not like it if I have to use force."

Harry swallowed hard. He really didn't want to be hit with the Cruciatus… or really any other Dark spell that Voldemort had up his sleeve.

"Ok well… don't forget that I am your horcrux…"

"Push your luck any further and I will not hesitate to put my horcrux in danger…" Voldemort knew it was an empty threat, but by the look in Harry's eyes it seemed to work.

Harry slowly moved his arm out from behind him. Voldemort was surprised to see that Harry's hand was empty, but instead that his lower arm was a bright purple.

"My desk…"

"I just- I didn't- I-"

"You tried to go in my desk." Voldemort's tone was still threatening, but he had to admit he was expecting much worse than Harry simply trying to get into his desk.

"It was an accident."

"An accident? You just accidentally walked over to my desk and tried to open it?"

"Well…"

' _Did snakeling tell what he did?! Nagini told him he shouldn't play with Master's things!'_

' _Nagini told you not to touch the desk?'_

' _Uhh… yes.'_

' _But you did it anyway.'_

Harry hesitated but finally squeaked out,  _'Yeah…'_

' _You do understand why she is here do you not? Why I ask her to 'babysit' you?'_

' _She does not babysit me!'_

' _Yes, she does. She has been here for many years and I cannot trust you to behave. She understands what is dangerous and what is not, Harry. She's here for a reason.'_

' _I hardly think the paperwork in your desk would have seriously injured me…'_

' _I'm not talking about the desk Harry, I'm talking about other things. I don't want you hurt.'_

Harry sighed.  _'Fine. I won't put your horcrux in danger.'_

' _Harry of course I don't want the horcrux damaged, but I don't want you hurt either.'_

Harry just looked at the man, knowing he was right but not happy about it in the least.

' _Do not give me that look young one. You are important to me, even without the horcrux.'_

He smirked at the use of the voice's nickname… young one. He kind of missed hearing the voice.

' _Next time listen to Nagini please. Now give me your arm.'_

' _She's such a bother though!'_ Harry said dramatically, purposefully trying to get a rise out of the snake as he allowed Voldemort to take his arm in his pale hand.

' _Harry please don't antago-'_

' _Nagini is not a bother! If anyone is a bother it is snakeling!'_

Harry had a pleased smirk on his lips as Voldemort rolled his eyes. The man pointed his wand at the boy's forearm and Harry felt a tingling sensation run up his limb as he watched the purple fade. A completely different kind of sensation traveled through his body as Voldemort gently rubbed his hand up and down his arm once the color was gone. It was almost as if the horcrux inside of him was purring in delight.

Voldemort released Harry's arm and stood back to his full height. "Why did you even try to go into my desk in the first place?"

Hesitantly Harry said, "I wanted to see what kind of paperwork you do…"

"Paperwork?! What is it with you and this curiosity over my paperwork?!"

"I just wanted to see what it was about!"

Voldemort sighed. "If you join the Dark side one day then I promise I will show you what my 'paperwork' entails."

Harry was taken aback, but Voldemort had already turned around and was talking to Nagini, not giving any mind to what he had just said. It was the first time Voldemort had ever mentioned Harry joining the Dark… it was something that hadn't even crossed Harry's mind before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The reason for this chapter (other than for some laughs and foreshadowing) is because when I first started reading LV/HP fanfictions I found that Voldemort was often doing "paperwork". At first I just couldn't understand- what the hell kind of paperwork does a Dark Lord do?! But then as I read more I realized that it really did fit into the stories better. I mean, Voldie can't just sit around all day plotting in his mind and yelling at Death Eaters… he has to DO something. So yeah, anyway. That's that. Lol.


	17. Chapter 17

Voldemort looked down at the worn book as he made his way through the corridors. The long-forgotten pages had forced many memories to the forefront of his mind, some good and some bad, but nonetheless memories of a lifetime he had chosen to forget. He certainly wished he could have forgotten the Professor who at that time had required this book…

It was his third year at Hogwarts and he had already become quite interested in the darker forms of magic. He was often found deep within the library late at night, the bookkeeper often having to drag him out, yelling at him to head back to his common room. Tom Riddle,  _oh how Voldemort still shuddered at that name_ , had already begun to collect a few 'friends' who would later become the first of his loyal Death Eaters, many of which were the parents of his current followers. Lord Voldemort was just a distant thought when Riddle walked the corridors of Hogwarts carrying this particular book.

When Voldemort reached his quarters he pushed open the door and made his way inside. He glanced quickly around the room, only seeing one of his precious horcruxes.

' _Nagini, where's Harry?'_

' _Bathroom'_ she answered apathetically, not looking up from where she was curled. Voldemort's eyes narrowed, the snake's careless attitude had greatly increased since Harry arrived… the boy was rubbing off on her.

Voldemort made his way to the ornate desk and sat gracefully down into the chair while waiting for Harry to return. He looked around the room and was quick to note the disarray it was in- Harry had his birthday presents quite literally strewn everywhere. The Quidditch book was lying open on the floor, the boy's wand lying carelessly beside it, empty candy boxes and wrappers were _everywhere._  He looked up as the door to the bathroom opened.

"How can one person make such a mess?"

Harry jumped at the sudden voice, an undignified shriek emitting from his throat. "SWEET MERLIN! DON'T DO THAT!"

"That's not an answer to my question."

With his heart pounding, Harry briefly looked around the room, his face falling a bit as he saw the mess. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't realize it was that bad. Plus, I didn't think you'd be back this soon anyway! You cannot scare people like that!"

"I can do as I so please, unlike you- pick your mess up."

Harry huffed sadly and placed his hand on his stomach, "Do I have to? I don't feel too great…"

"Don't be dramatic."

"I'm not! I really don't feel well."

"Can I assume that has to do with the dozens of candy wrappers scattered across my floor?" Voldemort asked as the boy flopped into an armchair, "Hm?"

"Maybe."

Standing from his desk Voldemort asked, "What did you expect to happen?" as he walked to the boy. He conjured a flask from midair and handed it to Harry. "I should let you suffer."

"Will this make me feel better?"

"Mhm." Voldemort nodded.

Harry quickly drank the potion down, regretting those twenty-seven fizzing whizbees.

"I intended for that candy to last you a while, not a couple days."

"Ugghh…" Harry groaned as he sunk lower into the chair and Voldemort simply shook his head.

The Dark Lord turned and made his way back to his desk, grabbing the book. "I have something for you."

Harry perked up a bit, "Yeah?"

"I certainly hope you take better care of this than your other gifts." Voldemort said, his stern tone easily and quickly getting his point across. "I stumbled upon this in the library, forgotten I had kept it actually, it's from my third year and I thought you might enjoy it."

Harry took the worn and obviously very old book,  _Intermediate Transfiguration, By Cynthia Hornby_

Harry flipped through the tome, trying to keep the ripped pages from falling out. "This looks really old… how old are you again?"

"Immortality has no age."

Rolling his eyes Harry teased, "Oh yeah, right. I guess becoming a Dark Lord is quite strenuous, though you should have taken better care of your books... HEY!" he shouted as he dodged Voldemort's attempt to bop him on the head. "Haha! Missed! OW!" he shouted, unable to dodge to stinging hex.

Voldemort smirked as he watched the boy rub the sting from his side. "This coming from the boy who caused damage to numerous books in his wandless fight against the Death Eaters in my library. Anyway, I want you to borrow it, try to  _learn_ from it."

"I can borrow it?"

"Of course, why do you think I brought it here in the first place? You have your wand, I want you to try to practice and learn new spells, and I've marked on the inside those which I think will be most useful to you. It's only one book but it's a start, I have plans to get more books your own level so that you can advance your magic." He took a look around the room, "Which will obviously be much more beneficial than you eating candy all day."

"Wow, that's really… uh, nice? Thanks."

"You're welcome. I want you to take it seriously, I want you to be able to show me what you've learned."

"Ok."

"Also, I do not want you trying new spells on  _anything_ other than what I provide for you to practice with."

"Alright. Does that mean I can't practice on Nagini?"

"I'm serious Harry. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Alright good. And yes, that means you  _cannot_ under  _any circumstances_ practice on Nagini."

"Fine…"

"Anyway, that's enough of that. Are you feeling better?"

Harry considered for a moment, "Yes actually, I am."

"Good. I have things I need to complete, why don't you begin reading the book,  _after_ you clean up your mess that is."

"Gah, alright alright."

An hour later Harry sat with his wand grasped firmly in one hand while the book rested on the floor in front of him. He had been reading and surprisingly had found quite a few transfiguration spells he wanted to learn, but then again the subject had always been interesting to him. He stared at the small chipped tea pot that Voldemort had given him to practice with. Harry wondered if it had been dug up from a trash bin.

"Duro" he whispered enthusiastically in an attempt to get the tea pot to turn to stone, his face fell when nothing happened. "Duro!" he whispered once more, trying not to disturb Voldemort. "Duro. Duro. Duro! DURO DURO DURO!" Nothing.

"Loosen your wrist some."

Harry turned towards Voldemort, but the man was still looking down at his desk, seemingly ignoring the boy. Harry flexed the hand holding his wand and tried once more, "Duro. Duro!" His face lit up as he watched the tea pot turn completely into stone. "AH! YES! I DID IT!"

In his excitement, Harry didn't even think to look back towards the Dark Lord, who was smirking down at his papers.

Harry read and practiced spells for the next hour or so before falling into a deep sleep, his mind exhausted.

As soon as he awoke the next morning he called for Tibby and requested breakfast, which he then quickly shoved down. He wanted to get back to the book.

It was the first new magic he had learned in months, and Merlin knew he was tired of repeating the same spells over and over again which he had previously learned. He grabbed the haggard book, leapt into one of the armchairs, and began reading once more.

By the end of the day he had completely perfected two new transfiguration spells- Duro, the charm that turned objects into stone, and Tortuius, a spell that Voldemort was about to greatly to dislike.

When the Dark Lord opened the door to his rooms later that night he was almost startled by the immediate greeting he received from Harry. He entered the room with great suspicion aimed towards the boy whose smile looked to be about ready to burst off his face.

Harry pulled something from behind his back and raised it into the air. "LOOK WHAT I DID!"

Voldemort stared at the boy who stood with a small tortoise raised high into the air, greatly resembling a Muggle children's film Harry had once mentioned- something about lions and kings. He walked over to the boy and took the animal from his hands, studying it intently.

"I must admit I'm impressed."

"She's  _awesome_  isn't she?!"

"Impressive. She's impressive." Voldemort insisted, not 'impressed' by Harry's enthusiastic use of the Muggle word.

The boy took the tortoise back, petting it fondly on the head. "I've been playing with her all day- Nagini has been asleep."

"How long ago did you transfigure it?"

"I don't know, a few hours."

"You need to turn it back."

"But why?!"

"It cannot stay an animal forever."

"Why? It was just an old broken tea pot."

"Harry…"

"But I thought- I thought I could keep it."

"Keep it?"

"Yeah, as a pet."

"A pet?! No Harry, absolutely not."

"WHY?!"

"Because this is not a barn! We already have too many animals here as it is."

"We only have two! And Hedwig doesn't bother anyone!"

"No, Harry. No."

"But I already named her!"

"I do not care!"

The boy stood stubbornly, not happy at all about having to get rid of his new pet. He glanced over to the large snake who was now stirring from her nap, having been awoken by the yelling.

"Harry Potter don't you dare…"

' _Hedwig and Nagini are already pets, why can't we have another one?'_

They both watched as the snake did a very human-like double take.  _'Excuse me?! Nagini is NOT a pet!'_ Harry looked triumphantly back at the Dark Lord, who was now breathing heavily, not much unlike an angered dragon.  _'Snakeling! Nagini is not a pet!'_

"Now you're definitely not keeping it." Voldemort said angrily, struggling to keep his voice under control.

' _Snakeling, listen to Nagini, I am not a pet.'_

Voldemort straightened his back, making himself loom even taller over the small boy, and extended his hand. "Give it here."

Harry's eyes went wide, "No!"

"Harry. Give. It. To. Me."

He held the tortoise tightly to his chest and turned around, speaking over his shoulder, "NO! You're going to hurt her!"

"I'm not going to hurt it I'm just going to change it back!"

"NO!"

"It's in your best interest if you give it to me. Now."

"I'LL DO IT MYSELF! DON'T TOUCH HER!"

Voldemort's hand clenched. "Fine. Do it now."

Harry shot an angry and distrustful look towards the Dark Lord as he placed the tortoise on the ground.

' _Snakeling do you hear Nagini? I am not-'_

' _ALRIGHT NAGINI! WE UNDERSTAND!'_ Voldemort shouted in Parseltongue at the snake, who had yet to stop talking. He looked back to the boy who hadn't moved yet.

"Harry Potter if you do not change that creature back right now, so Salazar help me…"

"ALRIGHT!" Harry shouted. He turned slowly around and looked down to the floor where he had left his new friend, only to let out a scream when he realized Nagini was there, large mouth open wide and fangs bared, a second from swallowing his tortoise whole.

' _Nagini NO!'_ he screamed as he scooped the animal up, Nagini's powerful fangs barely missing his small arms as she bit down.

"HARRY!" Voldemort shouted and he yanked the boy backwards away from the snake. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"SHE WAS GOING TO EAT HER!"

"Give me the bloody animal now." Voldemort said as he yanked the tortoise from the boy's hands. He quickly pulled out his wand and transfigured the animal back into the chipped tea pot, which he then forcefully threw against the wall in anger.

Harry jumped as he watched the pot shatter.

"Do you understand why we can't have  _pets_?!" Voldemort said, hand extended towards the confused Nagini.

"I get it! I didn't think it'd be that big of a deal!"

"It's a big deal that you don't  _listen_ to me when I tell you something! I said no, so the answer was no."

"Fine."

"If you don't want to be hexed into oblivion I suggest you be silent for the rest of the night."

Harry just wanted to get away from the man, so without a response he spun and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

He punched the air repeatedly, letting out his frustration. Why did Voldemort always have to be so crazy?! It was just a tortoise! He could have calmly and nicely said "No, we can't keep it"… _Although he kinda did say that… NO. No he didn't have to get so angry about it._ Harry thought.

Once he stopped screaming at Voldemort in his mind, which the man could no doubt hear, Harry decided to take a shower, as there's not much else you can do when locked inside of a bathroom. The hot water felt incredible and his frustration soon disappeared in the humidity. When he finally exited the bathroom he shot a quick look over to the Dark Lord, who was sitting at his desk with Nagini wrapped around his shoulders, completely ignoring Harry.

He made his way to the bed and lay down, but before he could snuggle under the covers Voldemort asked, "Nagini wants to know what you named the tortoise."

Harry sat back up. " _Nagini_ wants to know? Why doesn't she just ask me then?" he said sarcastically.

Voldemort threw him a look. "Fine.  _I_ want to know what you named it."

Harry briefly wondered if this was some weird roundabout way Voldemort was apologizing for getting so angry. "No. You'll laugh."

"I won't laugh."

"You will."

Silence.

"….. Ugg, fine. I named her Michelle."

"Michelle?"

"Yeah. Mi-SHELL."

It took every ounce of self control Voldemort possessed to contain the laughter desperately trying to burst out of him. His muscles worked overtime in an effort to keep the smirk off his face. It took him a moment to answer, "That's a very nice name."

"I told you you would laugh." Harry huffed and flopped down onto the bed, throwing the blankets over his head as he tried to drown out the Dark Lord's unsuccessful attempt to keep from snickering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you to the site "small pets love to know" for the name Mishell (I about pissed my pants when I found it), and thank you as always to the Harry Potter Wiki for helping me figure out spells and facts.
> 
> A/N: I know in the past two chapters not much as occurred, but it has all been setting things into place for future chapters/events.
> 
> A/N: Next chapter, the Order appears…


	18. Chapter 18

Harry was lying in front of the lit fireplace on his stomach, marveling at the pictures in his new Quidditch book that Voldemort had given him for his birthday. He watched as Avery Hawksworth soared around the pitch, dodging a flying bludger as he scored. His wand lay on the floor beside him, resting after Harry had gone through every spell he could remember learning over the past two years at Hogwarts, plus the few he had managed to teach himself with the book Voldemort had allowed him to borrow. Nagini was curled up next to him, hissing quietly on each breath as she slept contentedly.

According to Harry's sketchy calculations, he had been with Voldemort over a month now. His birthday had come and gone and the new Hogwarts year was about to start in a couple weeks. He thought of his friends on occasion, wondering what they were up to, but primarily wondering if they were worried about him. He had no idea what was going on in the Wizarding World outside of this manor, hell, outside of this room really, but Harry could imagine that the disappearance of The-Boy-Who-Lived had caused quite an uproar. In the end he was supposed to save them all wasn't he? His eyes rolled at the thought.

He thought of Dumbledore often, his disappointment over the man knowing about the horcrux inside Harry was vanishing. Disappointment was quickly turning to anger. How could Dumbledore have sent a child to war simply in hopes that he would be killed? Why had the man never told Harry about the horcrux? The entire thing made Harry's blood boil.

As he turned the page the floor beneath him shook violently.

' _GAH! What was that?! What are you doing snakeling?! Nagini is trying to sleep!'_

' _It wasn't me! I don't know what that was…'_ Harry stayed in his spot on the floor, waiting to see if it would happen again. With a house full of Death Eaters strange things were bound to happen, or explode, as that shaking seemed to indicate. Nagini stretched herself out and closed her eyes, trying to resume her nap.

The floor shook again, only this time the windows began to rattle.

"What the-!" Harry said as he jumped to his feet while Hedwig hooted angrily from her spot on the bedpost. This was no ordinary Death Eater fight gone wrong.  _'Nagini wake up.'_

' _No snakeling Nagini is sleeping…'_

' _WAKE UP. Something is wrong and you need to WAKE UP!'_

' _You don't have to yell at Nagini!'_

Harry could hear frantic shouting in the manor, something was definitely wrong. He ran for the window and ripped the curtains back. His mouth dropped. It was chaos outside.

The ground was multicolored as spells flew back and forth across the grounds. The Death Eaters were scattered, their black clashing with the other wizards. Harry looked closer at the intruders who were very obviously not welcomed. Even though he was at a distance he knew who they were… the Order of the Phoenix.

' _Snakeling what is going on?'_

' _The Order has come.'_

' _Have they come for snakeling?'_

'…  _I think so.'_

' _Well they cannot have him!'_ Nagini hissed as she slithered around Harry's heels, gripping the boy's ankles tightly.

' _Ow, no Nagini get off.'_

' _They cannot have snakeling!'_

' _Nagini get off I need to be able to move! I need to be able to protect myself if they get in here!'_

' _Nagini will protect you.'_ Harry looked down at the snake who was uncoiling herself from Harry's legs. She spoke with such conviction…

' _I know you will.'_

But did he really think he needed protection from  _The Order_ of all people? He watched as the battle between Light and Dark raged below, there were already bodies on the ground… Harry wondered where Voldemort was, if he was safe. The windows rattled again.

' _Nagini…'_

' _Yes snakeling?'_

' _Do you think Voldemort is safe? Do you think he's ok?'_

' _HA! Of course Master is ok! He is a great wizard! Nagini can feel him… he is safe.'_

Harry wondered only for a moment what the snake meant, but then he knew. He focused on whatever part of Voldemort's soul was inside of him and could feel it, he too knew Voldemort was still alive.

Harry heard footsteps in the hallway growing nearer, growing louder. He spun around towards the door, wand extended. Nagini hissed and coiled back, ready to strike.

The door exploded open and a woman stepped through. She had pink hair.

"Tonks…" Harry gasped.

"Harry! Finally! Come, come with-"

' _You cannot have snakeling!'_

Harry screamed as he heard her, knowing instantly what the snake was about to do.  _'NAGINI! NO WAIT!'_

He was too late, the massive snake lunged forward, fangs exposed, a truly terrifying sight. Tonks was quick though and cast the fastest Protego Harry had ever seen. Nagini ricocheted off the shield, looking as if she had run straight into a wall.

' _Nagini STOP!'_

The snake coiled again, ready to strike once more.

' _NAGINI!'_ Harry shouted, throwing his body between Tonks and Nagini. The snake froze only for a moment before quickly shifting, trying to find a clear strike.

' _Snakeling MOVE.'_

' _No, no. You cannot hurt her.'_

' _She is trying to take you! I will not let her!'_

' _She's not, she's not. Well, she is but- just stop. She won't hurt me.'_

Nagini looked at the boy.  _'Will snakeling go with her?'_ She asked, almost sadly.

'…  _I- I don't know.'_

"Bloody hell that's a big snake…" Tonks said in awe from her place behind Harry.

"Tonks you need to leave, now."

The woman was pulled from her reverie, "Oh no Harry, I'm here for you."

"You don't underst-"

"We're  _all_  here for you!" Tonks interrupted, the urgency back in her voice. "You need to come with me now."

"I- I-…"

"Harry let's go! I'm not leaving without you." The woman said, already at the door.

"I don't know if I can…"

"What are you-" Tonks stopped mid sentence, eyes going wide. Harry's mind vaguely registered the flash of green light before her body fell to the ground with a horrid reverberating thump.

Harry stood looking at the woman, completely in shock. Tonks had been one of the main people who had trained him when he was working with the Order, along with so many other people, all who quite possibly were dead right now.

Voldemort stepped through the door and Harry was broken from his shock in an instant, forgetting about the bodies of those he considered friends lying around the manor.

"Voldemort!" He yelled in relief. He ran towards the man and gripped the front of his black robes, not putting any thought into what he was doing.

"Harry…" Voldemort said with a relieved sigh.

"What's going on? I saw the Order outside, why are they here? Who's winning? What is-"

"Shhh…" Voldemort shushed, running his hand through the boy's black hair.

Harry was thankful he was with Voldemort, he knew he would be safe with the man near. He wasn't afraid of the Order, but he still felt better with Voldemort nearby, even if he knew he wasn't in danger.

"You came for me."

"Of course I did, little one."

Voldemort moved both he and the boy still clinging to his robes further into the room, blocking the view of the woman lying lifeless in the doorway. Harry could still hear people shouting from the floors below, the voices becoming louder each minute.

Without warning Voldemort tensed, whirling around in a swirl of black robes. Harry could feel the sudden anger radiating off the man, or maybe he felt it deep inside him, deep where the horcrux lay. Voldemort raised his white wand towards the door.

"What's happ-"

Albus Dumbledore walked calmly into the room, giving Tonks a quick but sad look before gracefully stepping over her body. Harry's emotions battled between relief and hatred… hatred by far had the upper hand.

"Harry, Tom." Dumbledore greeted with a smile as if he were visiting for tea. Harry heard a rumble emit deep in Voldemort's chest at the use of his Muggle name.

The room was silent as the three men took one another in.  _'Harry, get behind me.'_ Voldemort hissed in Parseltongue to the boy. Harry realized he had already been clinging tightly onto the back of Voldemort's robes as the man ushered the boy further behind him with his free hand.

Ignoring the Dark Lord, Dumbledore looked at the boy peeking out from behind Voldemort. "Harry, I'm glad to see you look well."

Harry inwardly scoffed at the comment… ironic coming from the man who had sent him to die. Dumbledore now looked to Voldemort. "You've taken good care of him, Tom."

"What do you want, Dumbledore?" Voldemort snapped, obviously not willing to play along with Dumbledore's insincere pleasantries.

"I think you know what I want, Tom. I've come for Harry."

"I find it amusing that you believe you can simply come in here with a few of your brainwashed followers and expect me to just let the boy go."

"Oh no, I did not expect you to give him up easily. I know what he means to you…" Dumbledore gave Voldemort a knowing look.  _He has to know of the horcrux… he just has to._ Harry thought. "I do not wish for this to come to a fight Tom, but I will do what I must…"

Voldemort laughed, "Do you really believe that you intimidate me old man? You are mad if you think you could defeat me in a duel."

Dumbledore looked to the boy. "Harry, come with me."

Harry felt Voldemort's grip on him tighten, pushing him further behind the dark wizard. Harry knew Dumbledore wasn't stupid enough to try anything with Voldemort in the room, so he pulled himself away from the man's grip, stepping a bit out from behind his human shield.

"Ah, Harry…"

"You knew didn't you? You knew about the horcrux."

Dumbledore's eyes widened for only a moment before returning to their usual lightness. "I'm not sure I know what you mean. Why don't you just-"

"You know exactly what I mean. You knew that I was a horcrux didn't you?" Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, his lighthearted attitude vanishing. When the man didn't respond Harry shouted, "Answer me! Did you know?!"

"What has he told you?" Dumbledore asked, speaking of Voldemort.

"He hasn't told me anything. I may be young but I'm not stupid, I can figure things out for myself. I also know that _you_  aren't stupid… you knew. You sent me out to fight hoping I'd be killed!"

"Harry you don't know what you are talking about."

"You coward! You knew I would have to die for Voldemort to be destroyed! Why didn't you tell me?" Harry took a few steps forward towards the man, only to be brought back by a firm pale hand on his shoulder. Again, Dumbledore stood in silence. "You are a coward…" Harry said angrily.

"Harry, we obviously have much to discuss. You have been led astray I assure you. You cannot trust what Voldemort says, you must know this."

"I trust him more than I trust you. At least he tells me the truth; at least he tries to protect me, which I can no longer say for you."

"Come now Harry, this is becoming ridiculous. Come with me and come home."

"I am home." The other two wizards both froze in shock, neither believing what they had just heard.

"Harry…"

"You will no longer use me Dumbledore. I can't believe I was naïve enough to not see it before."

It was then that they heard someone running down the corridor. "Albus!" Harry recognized the voice and his heart ached. "Albus we need to leave!" Remus Lupin ran into the room and froze when he saw the Dark Lord. He raised his wand instantly but Dumbledore quickly grasped his wrist.

"No… this, this did not go as planned. Let us go." In an instant Dumbledore had vanished, leaving his companion behind. He knew better than to press his luck with the Dark Lord.

Lupin was left for a few short moments, casting a quick look at The Boy Who Lived who was now pulled tightly against the chest of the Dark Lord… how things do change.

"Hey Remus…"

"Hi Harry…" Lupin said quietly. The two exchanged a long look, both full of apologies.

Voldemort raised his wand towards Lupin, "Get out." He said in a tone that would have terrified Harry to the bone were he on the other side of the wand. Harry grabbed Voldemort's arm and gently pulled it downwards, not wanting Lupin to get hurt by accident.

In an instant, the last of the Order was gone.

Harry let out a sigh as Lupin vanished. He had made his decision, he had left those who raised him and cared for him. It was a horrible feeling, but somehow he knew he wouldn't regret it. Somehow he knew he had done the right thing… even if it hurt.

The room was silent for a few moments before Voldemort released Harry and turned the downcast boy around. "Are you alright?"

Harry looked up, "Yeah…"

"You don't look it."

"I just feel kinda bad."

Voldemort looked thoughtful for a moment, not wanting to ask the next question. "Why did you do it then?"

"… because I don't trust Dumbledore, and I certainly don't want to fight for him. The others…" Harry looked to the ground. "It's not their fault."

Voldemort ignored the part of him that was slightly disappointed at the response.

"You had the chance to go back to your friends."

"Yeah, I know."

"But you didn't leave. You chose to stay. You chose to stay… with me."

"Yeah, I know." Harry said, the sadness leaving his voice.

"You puzzle me Harry."

"I just… I can't explain it. I like being here…" It was the first time Harry had said it out loud. But it was true.

"You like being here?"

"Yeah. I don't know, I'm away from the war, away from the Durlseys, I'm not The Boy Who Lived here… I'm just Harry."

"And you like that?"

"It's all I've really ever wanted."


	19. Chapter 19

It had been a few days since the Order had attempted to capture Harry, but the manor was still abuzz. Harry could often hear Death Eaters moving about, talking away about what had happened and why- they finally knew that The Boy Who Lived was in the Dark Lord's custody. Many questions arose about how long Harry had been around and where he was being kept, but Voldemort refused to answer any inquires. Apparently the Wizarding World had been in a panic for many weeks wondering where their Savior had vanished to. While he was quickly becoming desperate to leave the room, Harry for one was glad he was hidden away from the chaos. He had asked Voldemort if they were going to have to move now that the Order had broken through the wards, but the man assured him they would stay where they were. Death Eater protection around the manor had increased threefold, and the surrounding wards had been enhanced by Voldemort himself with ancient magic. It would take many more resources than the Order of the Phoenix had at their disposal to get anywhere near the Dark's headquarters a second time. Harry wasn't convinced, but Voldemort insisted that it would not happen again. Even so, everyone knew the war was about to come to an end, even Harry could feel it. A sort of anticipation hung about the manor, they knew the time was near.

He hadn't put much thought into how the Order had gotten through the security wards surrounding the manor, and if he was honest he really didn't care. All he cared about was Tonks and who knows how many other people who had lost their lives trying to rescue him from a place he refused to leave… it was his fault. His mind often ran away with possibilities, more often than not involving the Weasleys. What if Mr. Weasley had been part of the attack? What if he had gotten hurt? Or even killed? What was happening to Ron's family? It was all too much. He should have gone with Tonks as soon as she showed up but, it just didn't feel right. He couldn't leave. He didn't know why, it didn't make any rational sense, but something kept him here with Voldemort.

Harry had been moping about for the past few days, worrying about his friends, second guessing his decision, his mind was a mess. If he knew he did the right thing then why did he feel so horrible about it?!

He lay on the large bed with Nagini resting peacefully, and for once quietly, by his side. He had grown rather attached to the snake in the past month or so. He never wanted to ask Voldemort the date, so he could only guess, but he assumed it was sometime in mid-August.

Harry sighed and flopped over, letting the side of his face rest against Nagini's cold scales.

' _Snakeling seems sad…'_

' _Hmm.'_

' _Why is snakeling sad? You are with Nagini and Master! Snakeling should be happy!'_

' _I don't know Nagini… I don't want to talk about it.'_

' _Master is happy… and so is Nagini.'_

Harry couldn't help but smile.

Voldemort entered the room to see Harry resting against the large snake with his eyes closed, his arm wrapped around her body.

Harry heard Voldemort come in and for once didn't put the effort out to let go of Nagini. Voldemort knew they were getting along anyway no matter how hard Harry had tried to hide it.

The boy smiled again as he felt a hand run through his hair. "I have something for you, Harry."

He rolled away from Nagini and looked up to the Dark Lord. Voldemort sat down on the side of the bed beside his two most precious horcruxes.

"I must admit that I have had it for a few days, I was not sure if I was going to give it to you."

Harry sat up curiously, "What is it?"

Voldemort extended his hand and Harry looked curiously at the envelope. "I think the owl had trouble finding you because of the wards around the manor. When the Order broke through I believe the wards were down long enough for the owl to get an idea of your location. One of the Death Eaters on patrol found it impatiently waiting around the outside of the wards."

Harry flipped the envelope over.

His Hogwarts letter.

He felt a lump in his throat as he opened it slowly. He pulled the letter from Professor McGonagall out.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock._

_Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign._

_A list of books for next year is enclosed._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Professor M. McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Voldemort quietly played with Nagini as he sat patiently and waited for the boy to finish reading.

"Thank you for giving it to me," Harry said with a sigh.

"You're welcome. I felt as though it would be improper not to."

"Hm."

Harry gently ran his hand over the green font on the envelope. This is what he gave up when he told Dumbledore he was staying with Voldemort. Hogwarts, the place he considered his home. Was it worth it? He thought about his life at the school, fantastic in almost every way except… except there was always that one thing, the one thing that he could never escape from, the unfamiliar person who followed him like a shadow- The Boy Who Lived. Harry felt no more a Savior to the Wizarding World than a house elf…

It was always present, that pressure to be something great, to be better than those around him because he was the one who had to save them in the end. He knew he would never be great enough to defeat Voldemort though, he had known it deep down since the first moment he understood his place in the Wizarding World. He would never be enough, but Hogwarts couldn't quite understand that. He saw the looks he received in the halls, the way people knew his name before his first year had hardly begun, the way they glanced at the scar… He was destined for something that would destroy him in the end. The world had put too much faith in a young boy.

When the Order had come to rescue him those few short days ago Harry had his chance to go back, but he didn't want it. He had never wanted it. Never wanted the fame, the hope, the potential. Choosing to stay with Voldemort had given him the opportunity to get away from his responsibilities. If that meant he was a coward well, he could live with that. Sure, he knew he could always choose to go back and they would welcome him with open arms, but could Harry say he enjoyed his life here with Voldemort?

"I think I do…"

"What?"

Harry looked up from where he had been gazing. "Oh, I was just thinking."

"About Hogwarts?"

"No actually, more about how I'm happy to be away from it."

Voldemort didn't try to hide the surprise on his face. "What do you mean?"

"Same as I said before- getting the bloody hell away from The Boy Who Lived."

"Ah, I see. Does it bother you that badly? To be him? The Savior?"

"I'm no Savior…"

The Dark Lord studied the young boy who was still looking down at the letter. Voldemort was beginning to think that Harry finally believed he had saved him as opposed to captured him. Was Harry that desperate to get away from the world? So much so that he would willingly stay with his 'enemy'?

Abruptly Harry stood up and almost pushed Voldemort out of his way in his haste to get off the bed. He ran to the unlit fireplace and frantically began tearing the envelope to pieces. He ripped the papers over and over again as if he were seeking revenge for some unspoken crime against him. Nagini lifted her head and watched the boy curiously along with her Master. When Harry was satisfied he threw the shreds into the fireplace with finality.

"Burn it."

The room was silent for a few moments. "Harry are you sur-"

"I SAID BURN IT! I WANT IT GONE!"

Voldemort pulled his bone wand from a pocket in his robes and pointed it towards where Harry had thrown the papers. With a flash of bright orange the fire roared to life, burning what in Harry's mind was his last connection to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Voldemort lowered his wand and waited, watching as Harry stared into the flames. Minutes passed and Nagini's head resumed its place on the pillow, the room now pleasantly warm from the fire. Harry turned and looked to Voldemort, who had hardly taken his eyes off the boy in the time that had passed. As if an unspoken signal had occurred between them, Voldemort stood and Harry moved forward. The boy walked straight into Voldemort's arms and buried his face in the warmth of the man's chest.

Voldemort squeezed the boy tightly, the feeling of hugging someone awkward and unnatural, but yet at the same time it was Harry… his Harry.

The man turned his face into the boy's hair and breathed deeply, murmuring over and over in Parseltongue,  _'Little snake…. My little snake….'_

Harry had made his choice, and he had no intention of going back on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: No more wishy-washy Harry. This pleases me.


	20. Chapter 20

Harry sat frustrated on the floor with his wand, trying in vain to learn from Voldemort's old transfiguration schoolbook. He had only been able to perfect one or two spells in a matter of weeks… It wasn't going well. At. All. He never could have imagined how difficult it would be to teach himself magic. He needed help. What he needed was a teacher.

He had been contemplating it for a few days and decided to speak with Voldemort about it. The Hogwarts year was about to begin and he needed to keep pace with the other wizards and witches his age, he couldn't stay at a second year level forever. He had to learn.

There had been a few times in the past couple of days when he wanted to bring it up to Voldemort, but the time had never been right. Whatever was going on in the Wizarding World was causing the Dark Lord to return to his chambers each night with quite a sour temper. Harry had been the recipient of a stinging hex quite a few times over the past week.

Harry lifted his eyes as he heard the door opening.

"Done with your Lordly duties?"

Voldemort shot him unamused look. "Yes, as a matter of fact." Harry stayed where he was seated on the ground, leaning against the end of the bed, as Voldemort walked over to him. Harry had to repress a smile as the man ran his long fingers through his hair- which was something Voldemort always seemed to enjoy doing.

When the Dark Lord pulled his pale hand away Harry stood to his feet. "Uh, I wanna talk to you about something."

Voldemort was still standing beside the bed as he now ran his hand along Nagini's scaly head. "And it pertains to…?"

"Magic."

"Magic?" Voldemort repeated, quirking a hairless eyebrow.

"Well, I've been thinking…"

"Never a good thing." Good, sarcasm. Voldemort was only sarcastic when he was in a good mood.

"Not funny." Harry took a deep breath, bracing himself to defend his proposition. "Anyway, I've been thinking. If I'm going to stay here I need to learn more about magic." Voldemort stood silently, waiting for the boy to continue. "The book… it's great and all, but I haven't really been able to learn from it. I can't teach myself, I'm no good at it. It's been weeks and I've only learned a couple new spells."

"Yes, so I've noticed." Displeasure laced in the words.

"Well, I need help. And I also need to learn more than just transfiguration. I know you've been busy lately since the Order attacked and you're trying to take over the world and all that, but you did say you would get me more books my level. Also, I think I should be allowed to leave this room."

Voldemort looked up to the boy with a faux disapproving frown, "Demanding are we?"

"No, just bored. I've been here over a month. You can't keep me in here forever."

"With that attitude I just might," Voldemort said, looking back down at Nagini to hide his smirk.

"No! You can't! Seriously, I can't stay in this room the rest of my life and you know it!"

Oh did Voldemort love getting the boy riled up. "I can do as I so please Harry Potter, don't forget that."

Harry sighed, "Please."

"Are you begging me now?"

"No."

"Sounds that way to me."

"It's not fair. I haven't said anything about leaving the room for over a month!"

"Except when you decided to run off on your own and almost get yourself killed by my Death Eaters."

"That… ok, that was a mistake. But since then I haven't said anything and I haven't been out except on my birthday. I also have been responsible with my wand- I haven't even tried to hex Nagini!"

"Yes, that is truly surprising… And who do you think will teach you more about magic?"

Harry paused, this was the tricky part. "Uhhh….. you?"

Voldemort broke out into a laugh. "You think I have time to teach a boy about minor spells and curses?"

Feeling slight offense Harry grumbled, "Well… you could make time." Voldemort just stood and crossed his arms. "You could make time for your most important horcrux right?"

With a dramatic huff Voldemort mumbled under his breath, "Oh sweet Merlin…"

"Really though! I would try really hard! I would practice! I would be good, do whatever you tell me to do."

"You hardly listen to me as it is."

"Yeah but…"

"I don't think so Harry."

"Please… I really want this." Voldemort looked at the boy. Could he really refuse Harry anything? Was it truly that big of a deal? If he were the boy he'd want the exact same thing. "You never know, I might be able to help you one day."

Voldemort's expression turned serious and he wondered if Harry truly meant that. It was a conversation for another time.

"You promise to listen? If I'm going to make time to teach you Harry you had better take it seriously."

"I will! I promise!"

"I'm not playing around, Harry."

"I know."

Voldemort shook his head dejectedly, "Alright."

"YES! Thank you!" Harry shouted as he hugged the man.

Voldemort shooed the boy away as if he were an unwelcomed pest. "Go, get away."

"Aw, you don't mean that."

"Yes I do."

"You like me…" Harry teased.

"One day I will feed you to Nagini I swear."

Excitedly Harry said, "So when do we start?"

"Tomorrow I suppose."


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me, but I posted this chapter and the previous one in the wrong order. I suggest going back to Chapter 20 and reading it- it is different than before.... sorry.

The Boy Who Lived woke early the next morning. The sun was just becoming visible over the tops of the trees in the distance. It had taken him a long time to fall asleep the night before as his mind raced with excitement over the next day's events. Voldemort had promised to spend time with him and teach him new spells… Harry was ecstatic.

Not knowing what time they would start, and really being much too anxious to go back to sleep, Harry got out of bed and called for Tibby to request breakfast. He ate and took a quick shower, pulling on a set of clean robes when he was finished.

When he exited the bathroom he wasn't sure what to do with himself, so he settled with practicing the few new spells he had managed to teach himself over the past few weeks. It was about a half an hour later that the door opened.

"You're awake."

"Obviously."

"I expected to have to drag you from the bed."

"I was too-" Harry paused, not wanting to show exactly how excited he was for the lessons. "Uh, no I wasn't that tired…"

Voldemort looked knowingly at the boy who had been quite distracting as he tossed and turned last night in his attempt to fall asleep. He knew the boy was excited.

"So are we starting now?"

"Yes, but we must discuss something first regarding your wand."

Harry glanced down at the thin wood in his hand. "What about it?"

"I removed the restrictions from it last night as you slept, it will no longer inhibit you from casting spells against my followers." Harry's eyes lit up. "That does  _not_ mean that you may do as you wish, nor does it mean you may leave this room without my consent. I will still accompany you any time you are outside of my quarters, do you understand?"

"Yes…"

"I know you remember the incident with the Death Eaters in the library, you must understand the importance of not pushing your luck with them, even if you are able to defend yourself. They have skills far beyond your three years of magic."

"I understand. Why did you change your mind?"

"I do not want you outside of this room on a regular basis unarmed. I would never put it past you to do something stupid." Voldemort said as the seriousness left his voice slightly.

"I'm not stupid."

"You most definitely are not stupid, but you are a  _Gryffindor_." Voldemort sneered at the word. "Now grab your wand and follow me."

"We're  _leaving?"_

"Of course, you can't expect us to practice in this small room. Now come."

Harry tried desperately to keep the smile from his face but was horribly unsuccessful. He followed the Dark Lord out the door and into the corridor.

Barely a moment had passed before Harry interrupted the silence. "So where are we going?"

"It's a room where the Death Eaters practice dueling."

"Ohh… Are they here a lot? The Death Eaters?"

"Some of them, yes. A select few have families and live outside of the grounds, but most are on their own. Some chose to reside here, particularly the ones trying to earn favor with me."

"Oh. So what are you going to teach me?"

"You'll see in time."

"Can't you just tell me now?"

"No."

Harry rolled his eyes as they traveled down a flight of ornate steps and along another stone corridor.

"So what are we-" Harry's voice cut off when he saw the people ahead. Two wizards dressed in black were making their way toward Harry and Voldemort. Harry noticed their hesitation as they spotted him, he too faltering in his steps, ready to turn around and sprint back to the safety of his quiet room. A firm hand took him by the shoulder and pulled him along. As they passed the Death Eaters the two men bowed low and Harry could hear a few "My Lord"s murmured in their direction. One of the men's eyes traveled upward, gaining a quick glance at The Boy Who Lived as they passed. Harry looked to Voldemort who gave no indication he had even seen the men.

They walked around a corner Voldemort broke the silence, "They have been ordered not to harm you."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. They know you are here and know the  _consequences_ should they lay a finger on you."

Harry shivered at the threat lying behind 'consequences', but chose to not think too deeply into it. "I still don't trust them…"

"Well that's probably wise. They aren't the brightest at times… but as long as you're with me you will not be harmed."

"What if something happens and I'm not with you though? Like you said, I don't know enough magic to really defend myself from them." He admitted unhappily, it was true though.

It was quite a few steps before Harry realized Voldemort had stopped walking. He turned around and looked at the tall pale man. Voldemort pointed down to the area directly in front of him, signaling Harry to come over. Fearing he was in trouble, Harry took his time.

"Would you hurry up?"

"I'm sorry… what did I do?"

"You didn't do anything."

He stopped in front of Voldemort with his face turned down.

"Harry, you are not in trouble. Just listen to me," Voldemort placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, "You are safe here."

He waited a moment but only received silence.

"They wouldn't dare try anything if there was a chance I was to know about it. They're… confused, right now I'll admit. The Boy Who Lived has been their target for quite a few years, they certainly don't understand why you are here being protected. But what they do understand is this- they will suffer  _greatly_ should they so much as look at you the wrong way."

"But what if something like the library happens again?!"

Voldemort's eyes narrowed, "I thought you learned that lesson?"

"Oh, uh, I did I did. I was just saying…"

"As I said, this is why I removed the restrictions on your wand. Just in case. Now come, think on it no longer."

Voldemort turned and made his way once again down the corridor, leaving Harry to jog and catch up.

They finally reached a set of ornate doors which opened as they neared to reveal a large empty room. Harry took a few steps in before stopping, looking around.

"This is it?"

"Were you expecting something more?"

"Uh… yeah actually. There's nothing in here."

"You have to conjure what you need, Harry." Voldemort said as if it were extremely obvious.

"Oh."

The Dark Lord stood in the center of the room and looked to Harry, "So, first things first." Before Harry had time to even register the words there was a white spell rocketing towards him. The air rushed out of his lungs as it hit him directly in the chest, sending him flying backwards and onto the floor with a hard thump. He opened his eyes and stared at the high ceiling for a moment before he even remembered where he was.

"What. The. Bloody. Hell. Was. THAT FOR?!" he yelled as he slowly sat up, rubbing his head where it had hit the floor.

"That is what will happen any time you do not listen to me or do as I say. Understood?"

"YOU CANNOT DO-" Harry instantly closed his mouth as Voldemort raised his wand. "OKAY OKAY! I get it… bloody hell."

He stood shakily to his feet and looked grumpily at the smirking man.

"Ok then. Now that is settled." With a wave of the bone wand a row of human-shaped targets appeared in the distance, "Show me all the offensive spells you know, then defensive. Go."

"All of them?!"

"Are you going to question me every time I tell you to do something?"

"No."

"Then go."

With his head still smarting, Harry turned towards the targets and fired off every spell he knew that could be used in a battle situation, and soon realized it wasn't many… at all. This was going to be quite a long day. He lowered his wand when he finished.

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"Oh sweet Salazar…" Voldemort said under his breath. "I see Hogwarts still insists on teaching its students useless spells that wouldn't harm a flobberworm. Alright, stand over there."

Hours passed and Harry was on the floor more than he was standing. If he wasn't trying to crawl away from unknown spells then he was being thrown across the room for 'not listening'. There were many arguments between the two men, Voldemort always seeming to win by casting either a stinging hex or silencing charm over Harry. It seemed to Harry that Voldemort knew hundreds of spells, the man hardly repeating an incantation all day. He would have been amazed had he not been the moving target of said spells. They dueled long after the sun had set, only stopping for a short while to eat lunch before picking back up where they left off. By the end of the day Harry wondered if this was the dumbest request he had ever uttered.

"Alright, I think that's enough for today."

Harry weakly opened his eyes and was once again staring towards the ceiling. He lay there unmoving for a few moments before Voldemort came into view.

"Did you hear me?"

"I… I can't move."

"Don't be dramatic." Harry was surprised when he saw a white hand extended towards him.

"No. Don't touch me… hurts."

"Don't tell me one day of practice has put you out of commission?"

Harry shot an evil look towards the man before slowly closing his eyes. "Leave me here."

"I'm not leaving you here to sleep on the ground."

"Please."

Voldemort chuckled and levitated the small body into the air before placing his own arms under Harry.

"Ow…"

"Oh shush, it's not that bad."

"Mmph…" Harry mumbled as he turned his face into Voldemort's chest. He didn't even have enough energy to care that the man was carrying him through the manor, quite possibly past Death Eaters.

They made their way in silence for a few minutes before Harry mumbled, "I think you broke me."

For once, Voldemort genuinely laughed but chose not to answer. When they walked through the door to their chambers Voldemort gently placed the boy on his own two feet, only to have Harry immediately stagger forward and flop face first into the bed.

The man smirked and followed after, first taking Harry's right foot in his hand and slipping the black boot off before doing the same with his other foot. When he was finished he looked back at Harry's face, the boy's mouth was hanging open. Did he really fall asleep that quickly?

Harry jumped when he felt a hand smooth down his back. "Harry, I need you to move up the bed, then you can go to sleep." The boy pulled himself up and flopped down once more, head crashing into the pillows. Voldemort chuckled and spelled a blanket to gently lie on top of his horcrux.

"Goodnight, Harry."


	22. Chapter 22

He felt as if he were buried alive as the darkness pressed in on all sides. Harry felt something hard in his hand and looked down- his wand. He turned in a circle as he tried to gain his bearings in the blackness, and paused when a small light appeared in the distance. He walked forward, unable to feel the ground beneath him and feeling as if he were floating across the space. As he moved the light came closer, much faster than it should have for he wasn't walking that quickly. In a few moments time Harry was forced to squint his eyes as the brightness engulfed him. As the light began to ease he looked around, gripping his only means of defense in his hand tightly. The place looked familiar, but also strangely different. As he looked closer Harry realized he was at Hogwarts, standing right outside of the main entrance. The castle looked worn and beaten down with large areas of the stone walls missing or cracked. Vines traveled up the side of the walls, slowly taking over. The ground was no longer a bright healthy shade of green, but instead rocky dirt and clumps of clay. The clouds in the sky looked as grey and ominous as the castle. This wasn't the Hogwarts Harry remembered.

"Come to visit me, Harry?" He spun around at the sound of the voice, lifting his wand. His eyes widened. About 30 feet away stood the Dark Lord- tall and looming, his deadly red eyes trained on Harry. The serpentine man wore a sadistic smirk, as if he had been waiting his entire life for this moment. "Now now, you look terrified. Don't be so scared. We both knew this day would come."

Harry could feel the terror on his face as he clutched his wand tighter, trying to bring to mind the most volatile curses he could remember… but something was wrong. Voldemort was speaking as he began to move forward, but Harry didn't hear a word as he frantically racked his brain for an offensive spell, even a defensive spell, anything… but nothing came to mind. He couldn't remember anything, couldn't remember any form of magic at all. His mind was blank with terror.

"-as you can certainly understand. Is something the matter Harry?" Voldemort asked with feigned concern. He had cut the distance between them in half.

Once more Harry tried in vain to remember  _anything._ He swallowed and tried to steady his shaking hand. His heart was pounding as his breath came in short intense gasps. He knew this was it, the one thing he had been destined for- to duel the Dark Lord. But it was as if all the magic had been taken from his body… he felt empty, completely mindless, he had nothing. He dropped his wand, it was useless to him anyway. Maybe Voldemort would take it at as sign that he wasn't willing to fight… that he  _couldn't_ fight… and show mercy on him. He felt small and vulnerable… scared. Harry begged the murderer of his parents, "Please don't hurt me."

Voldemort broke into a loud laugh. "Oh dear boy, I'll make it quick and painless, just like I did with your father." Harry's face paled. "Your mother on the other hand… I offered to spare her, told her to leave, but no, she chose to disobey me. You won't make it difficult for yourself will you Harry? You're smarter than she was."

"Please don't, I'll do anything."

Voldemort finally raised his wand towards the boy. "Oh no my boy, I'm not letting you go again. The only thing you can do for me Harry Potter is succumb to me, once and for all. I'll make it quick, for you never truly had a choice in fighting this war."

Harry could see the green light engulf the very tip of Voldemort's wand before the incantation had even been spoken aloud. He closed his eyes tightly and screamed…

He was awoken by a panicked scream. Harry's eyes shot open as his hands clutched tightly to the fabric of the sheets. He was lying on his side in a puddle of sweat as he heard his name being spoken, suddenly someone was blocking his vision. Eyes that so much resembled the Killing Curse that just took his life glanced up and met red crimson. Harry let out a strangled cry and shot up in bed, quickly backing away.

"Harry, wait, what's wrong?!"

Harry paused for the briefest of moments when he heard the familiar voice. It was the same voice he had heard in the dream, but yet it was different… it lacked the hatred, the cruelty. Instead it was confused, concerned, kind. He sat staring wide-eyed at the man before his world came settling back down around him like a blanket.

He was in his room, Hedwig was looking at him curiously from her perch, Nagini somehow still asleep by the fire, and Voldemort stood silently watching him.

His breathing was slowing as he placed his hand against his face, feeling the heat and sweat.

"Are you alright?"

Harry swallowed hard, "Uh, yes. I think I um, I think I just had a bad dream."

"I'd say so."

"Yeah."

Harry stayed where he was on the large bed, still keeping a safe distance from Voldemort, and could feel himself shaking.

"Why don't you come back over here?" Harry jumped as Voldemort extended his hand. The man paused, understanding, before pulling his hand back. "Ah… I see." The two sat in silence for a moment. "Can I assume I was in the dream?"

Harry sat feeling awkward as there was really no reason to have a nightmare about Voldemort, at least not anymore, but sweet Merlin it had felt so real. "Yeah… sorry," he said.

"Harry, I hardly think you have need to apologize. Have you had these dreams before?"

"Not for a while." Harry admitted as he looked down to the silk sheets still tangled in his hands.

"As I said, I hardly think you need to feel bad about this. I'll return to my work." Voldemort said simply as he quickly spelled the sweaty sheets clean. Harry felt extremely guilty as he watched Voldemort return to his desk. The man understood that Harry couldn't control his dreams but the boy still felt terrible, he should have just lied. Voldemort had taken care of him for almost two months and apparently some part of Harry's subconscious still saw the man as a threat.

He slowly lay back down onto the bed, trying to relax his adrenaline filled body. Minutes passed as the boy's breathing returned to normal and he shifted on the bed. He closed his eyes but opened them immediately when he saw his father's body on the ground, his mother weeping at his side. He tossed and turned, desperately trying to fall back asleep. He closed his eyes once more, relieved that all he saw was darkness. He took a deep breath and settled in. Only moments passed before he felt a terrible nagging behind him, he tried to ignore the feeling but it only grew stronger. It felt as though someone was coming up behind him, and Harry's body tensed as he waited for something to touch him. The anticipation grew to be too much and Harry whirled around in the bed, quickly looking behind him for any signs of danger.

Finally sitting up, Harry looked to Voldemort, who was expertly ignoring him. "Can you-" Harry sighed and stopped, but Voldemort looked up from his work.

"Can I what?"

"… can you come over here?"

"For what? I can speak to you just fine from here."

"Yeah I know but- can you please just come over here?" Harry said slightly exasperated.  _Why won't he just get his butt over here?!_

Voldemort stood from his desk and made his way towards the bed, looking down at Harry. "What do you need?"

"Look, I'm sorry. That's the first dream I've had like that in a long time, actually since I've been here. It was mostly about my parents anyway." Harry said quickly, his words running together a bit in his haste. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Voldemort smirked, "You didn't hurt my  _feelings_. I am not angry, I cannot blame you for having nightmares about the past."

Harry sat quietly for a moment, suddenly extremely embarrassed. Was he really going to ask Voldemort this? "Can you um, sit with me?"

"What?"

"I can't get back to sleep. Can you just sit here until I do?"

"Are you that scared?"

"I'm not scared." The boy replied stubbornly.

"Alright alright," the Dark Lord said as he sat down upon the bed, leaning back against the headrest and situating himself before crossing his legs at the ankles. "You're not scared." Voldemort smirked knowingly.

"Right."

Harry laid back down and got himself situated, pulling the blankets up to his chin as Voldemort conjured another blanket and placed it upon the boy. Harry buried his head in the pillow and closed his eyes. He could feel the warmth from Voldemort's body beside him, but soon he felt the eerie sensation creeping up behind him once again, the feeling that someone was about to attack from behind. He knew it was ridiculous, but he nevertheless turned his head and looked over his shoulder. A pale white hand blocked his vision and gently pulled his face back around.

"It's ok Harry, do not worry. You're safe."

"Yeah, I know." Harry scooted closer to the Dark Lord, pressing his face into the side of the man's leg. "I used to have bad dreams a lot, back at the Dursleys."

"About what?"Voldemort asked as he brushed through Harry's hair.

"I don't know, things. Bad things. My parents, being punished… mainly being punished."

"By your uncle?"

"Yeah."

Voldemort's hand tightened in Harry's thin t-shirt. "What would you think if I told you I have plans to personally visit your uncle and aunt?"

Harry lifted his head, "Really?"

"Yes, they deserve much worse than they are going to get for hurting you for so long."

Putting his head back down Harry said, "I don't know how I feel about that."

"Understandable. My only concern is if you will turn from me because of it. I won't do it if it will make you unhappy."

"Oh… so it's up to me?"

"Exactly."

A few quiet moments passed, "I'll think about it. Will you be mad at me if I say no?"

Voldemort chuckled lightly, "I must confess that I will be disappointed." Harry inhaled deeply, taking in Voldemort's calming scent. "Sleep now, my little snake. I will keep you safe."


	23. Chapter 23

When Harry awoke after his first day or training, and the nightmare, he could hardly move. His muscles screamed with each tiny shift of his body.

Nagini heard Harry moan a few times before she made her way up onto the bed, crawling over top of Harry's body.

' _Oh Merlin get off of me! AHH!'_

' _What?! What is wrong snakeling?!'_

' _Oh sweet Circe don't touch me…'_

The large snake made her way to Harry's face, her tongue feathering his cheek.  _'Tell Nagini what is wrong.'_

' _Your Master tried to kill me'_

' _WHAT?! He didn't! Do not lie! Master would do no such thing to his snakeling!'_

' _Ugg…go away.'_

' _You are grumpy today.'_

' _Shut up.'_

The two sat in silence for a few moments as the snake examined her fellow horcrux.

' _Nagini I'm going to kill your Master.'_

' _Snakeling won't do that.'_ Nagini said matter-of-factly. _'Snakeling is just mad.'_

It was not long after that Voldemort returned, slightly shocked that Harry was not dressed already.

"Yesterday you were halfway out the door before I returned."

"Ugg… you tried to murder me!"

"What's wrong?"

"I am sore  _everywhere._ "

' _Snakeling is grumpy today Master.'_

' _She won't believe me that you tried to kill me.'_

' _I didn't try to kill you.'_

' _Well what was the point of throwing me across the room a dozen times then?!'_

' _I needed to show you how much you can and need to learn. You have a long way to go.'_

' _Don't you think I know that?! You didn't have to make me disabled.'_

"Always so dramatic." Voldemort mumbled quietly to himself as he waved his hand, conjuring a flask. "Here, this will ease the soreness."

Harry  _slowly_ sat up and took the flask, wincing as he did so. He brought it to his lips and was surprised when the taste didn't make him want to gag.

"A Slytherin wouldn't be so weak."

Harry's eyes widened and he almost choked on the potion, "Are you kidding me? A Gryffindor wouldn't harm someone who was weaker than them just to make a point!"

"Mere trivialities…"

It didn't take long for Harry's muscles to relax and the soreness ease itself away. Once Harry got dressed they made their way back to the empty training room to begin the day's lesson.

"Are you going to hurt me today?" Harry asked once they arrived.

"Only if you don't listen to me."

"Really though, are you just going to throw me around again? That got old really quickly ya know."

"No, not today. Today we begin actual instruction, you have much to learn. I saw how you dueled yesterday and it was truly pitiful, so that is where we are going to begin."

"Pitiful?!"

"Yes. You were uncontrolled, spells were flying everywhere, nothing was planned, it was all quite chaotic. Now, as I was saying-"

"Planned?! You can't plan a duel Voldemort!"

"That is where you are wrong. While you must react to another's spells, you cannot merely start casting whatever comes to your mind in the moment." Voldemort sighed, "Yes, much  _much_ to learn. You will understand soon enough. Do not interrupt me again."

Two hours later and Harry's dueling had, well,  _slightly_ improved, but improved nonetheless. Voldemort had focused on defensive and counteractive spells, leaving Harry to keep himself protected from Voldemort's minor attacks.

"Well, there is potential I will say that."

"Potential? You don't think I'm good now?"

"You're good for a third year, but age has nothing to do with magical ability. You could easily be practicing at a fifth or even sixth year level if you applied yourself."

"Why don't you teach me those spells then?"

"Because you need to learn to adequately defend yourself first, Harry. Offensive spells do no good if you are taken out by the first attack your enemy casts. Come, we are done for the day."

"What? It's only been two hours."

"I am aware of this, but I have matters to attend to."

"Oh. We were here all day yesterday though."

"Which will be a rare occurrence. I told you I would have to make time to teach you throughout the day as I cannot simply drop everything. Just the mere thought of my followers running around unsupervised gives me a headache."

Even through his disappointment, Harry had to smile at that.

"Come Harry, we must go."

"Can- can I stay here?"

"Stay here?"

"Yeah, and practice? I mean, as long as the Death Eaters won't come in."

"I suppose I could put a charm on the door to keep them out…" Voldemort seemed to consider it for a moment. "Alright Harry, I will come to collect you later, but I expect you to be  _responsible._ As I said yesterday, whatever you need you may simply summon, and Tibby can enter this room if you need anything. I want you to practice what we went over today. Also, do not leave this room under any circumstances. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"One mess up and it's back to my chambers do you understand? One."

"Alright alright, geeze."

Harry looked around the large room as The Dark Lord vanished and was suddenly filled with an excited energy. A whole day alone outside of the room with not even Nagini around to hassle him. Feeling much like a child he dropped his wand and sprinted to the other side of the room, slamming his hands into the wall before spinning around and running across the room again with a huge smile on his face. He repeated this until he was gasping for air, laughing to himself over the elation of running, of simply doing more than just sitting or walking.

He sat on the floor as he caught his breath, playing with his wand between his fingers. He thought about what Voldemort had mentioned to him the previous night about going back to the Dursleys. He didn't want to imagine what torture the Dark Lord had planned for his family, but at the same time deep down he didn't want to stop it from happening either. The thought scared Harry. It was… very unlike him. Usually he was against torture or murder of any kind, and while it bothered him that Voldemort had plans for his uncle and aunt, it also wasn't something he was wholly against. Harry shook his head against the thought, he had time to decide- Voldemort said it was his decision.

He stood up and went to work, practicing over and over the defensive spells that he had learned earlier. He felt not quite desperation, but a great need to prove to Voldemort that he could learn. He wanted to prove that these lessons weren't a waste of time. He vowed to put his heart and soul into advancing his skills, he didn't want Voldemort to regret spending this extra time with him.

The dummies in the room were enchanted to cast whatever spells you instructed, so Harry practiced against them until his hand was cramping. He was sitting in a chair rubbing the ache from his wrist when the door creaked open and Voldemort entered.

"Hm. I almost expected you to be hanging from the ceiling or in some other ridiculous predicament."

"Ha. Ha. No, I really practiced hard! I think you'll be impressed."

"Oh really?" Voldemort said as he crossed his arms, inwardly smirking at the confidence radiating from the boy. "When I left this morning you weren't overly impressive."

In a flash Voldemort had uncrossed his arms and a spell was flying across the room. Harry's body moved on instinct, his mouth casting the counter-curse before his mind had even registered what had happened. Pausing only a moment in surprise, Voldemort began throwing curse after curse at Harry which were all deftly deflected. Voldemort put his wand away with a smirk.

"Alright, I am slightly impressed."

Harry couldn't wipe the confident smile off his face. "I told you."

"Don't think for a moment that I wasn't going easy on you."

"Whatever."

It was not long after they were back in their room, Harry hungrily shoving food into his mouth, not taking the time to even look at what he was eating.

"Can you please not eat like an animal?"

Harry swallowed. "I'm hungry."

"Yes but you don't have to act like you haven't been fed in weeks." Actually, Harry looked much healthier than he had when he first arrived at Voldemort's manor. When Voldemort had first seen the boy he had been extremely thin, just verging on sickly looking, but now he looked much stronger… and much happier.

"The training made me really hungry."

For once Voldemort was eating with Harry, a true rare event. "So why don't you really eat?" Harry asked, "I don't know if I've ever seen you eat before?"

"I don't do it often."

"Why?"

"I don't have to."

"Oh… that's weird."

"Only to you."

"Hm. What about Nagini? I've never seen her eat either, does she have to?"

"Yes, she eats every day as you do. She leaves the room to do so though in the early morning hours while you are still asleep, she always returns by the time you have awoken."

"What does she eat?"

"The same things as other snakes- rabbits, birds, other small animals, the occasional Death Eater…"

Harry dropped his fork. "Are you serious?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"... no, I don't think so. Um, but birds huh?" Harry looked warily over towards Hedwig. His owl had grown quickly accustomed to her new life, but Harry figured anything was better than being constantly cooped up in a cage like at the Dursleys. "I'm kind of glad she leaves to eat… I don't really want to see that I don't think."

"It is slightly stomach churning I must admit."

"Anyway, so you're going to let me stay in the training room again tomorrow right?"

Voldemort gave Harry a suspicious look, "I don't know Harry, I feel as though I am tempting fate by leaving you in there."

"What? I didn't do anything stupid though, I just practiced like you said."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Ugg, please? It's so much better than staying cooped up in here all day."

"Hm. Actually Harry I was hoping to make a trip to the garden tomorrow if you wished to accompany me."

The boy's eyes widened as he remembered the magnificence of the magical garden. "Really?"

"Yes. Do you want-"

"Yes I want to go! I definitely want to go!"

"Alright then."

"But don't think that we are done talking about the training room."

Voldemort rolled his eyes, "Of course not…"

As they made their way out onto the grounds the next day Harry looked to the sky. He smiled as he felt the sun on his skin as the dazzling garden came into view. A thought flashed through his mind and he subtly looked down at his own arm before sneaking a quick glance over at Voldemort's exposed skin. If he kept this indoor life up for much longer he would certainly be giving the Dark Lord's paleness a run for its money.

They walked through the garden for a bit while chatting idly. There was something about the garden that absolutely enchanted Harry. Something about the way the plants were so unlike what he was used to seeing in the Muggle world, the way they hovered in the air, changed colors at will, some even making funny little sounds. It was just another thing that made Harry appreciate and admire the magical world he had been placed in, a world where even the simplest of things could mesmerize.

Harry was inspecting a particularly odd patterned plant floating in midair when Voldemort spoke.

"Harry, there is something I wish to discuss with you."

"Okay," the boy said without taking his eyes from the plant. He was reaching for it with his index finger when the Dark Lord broke his concentration.

"Harry."

"What?" he said, pulling his eyes away.

"There is something I wish to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Understand that I have no intention of pressuring you into anything. I am not Dumbledore."

Harry's face curled at the mention of the Hogwarts headmaster. "Okay."

"I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me tomorrow to a Death Eater meeting."

"WHAT?!"

"I am quite certain you heard me."

"I just- why?!"

"You wished to get out of the room did you not? I had the feeling you were enjoying being productive throughout the day."

"Yeah, but a Death Eater meeting? What does that even mean?"

"The one tomorrow is not a full gathering. My inner circle is assembling to discuss further action, particularly as it pertains to Hogwarts."

"What do you mean? What are you going to do to the school?" Harry asked, worry creeping in.

"We're going to break in."


	24. Chapter 24

His stomach turned as Harry dressed the next morning. Voldemort had instructed him to wear one of the nicer sets of robes the man had given him for his birthday. Harry thought he was going to be sick.

"Well you look very official." The Dark Lord said when he returned to the room after Harry had finished forcing his meager breakfast down.

"Why did I say I was doing this again?"

"If I remember correctly you were quite eloquent about it, saying something akin to 'Bloody hell if it gets me out of that wretched room then yes.' I didn't realize you were so offended by my chambers. You look right ill."

"I feel it." He said as he placed his head in his hands. Voldemort walked over to the boy and placed a pale hand on the thin shoulder.

"You will be fine. What are you afraid of?"

"Oh I don't know. The fact that they might kill me, that they might torture me until I end up in St. Mungo's for the rest of my life, the fact that they've been trying to do just that for the past three years…"

"Times are different now. Plus, they know not to lay a hand on you."

"Do they know I'm coming?"

"No."

"Uggg…"

"Come, no more of this. You will be fine. You will sit there quietly and listen and that is all." When the boy didn't move Voldemort said, "You don't have to go if you do not want to."

For the briefest of moments Harry considered staying in this room for the rest of his life where it was safe and calm. But no, Voldemort was giving him an opportunity to do something  _different,_ to get out of this bloody room. Harry wasn't sure he would be able to spend his days alone in the training room, so he had readily agreed to join in the meeting today. Plus, Voldemort had said he planned to break into Hogwarts and Harry could hardly miss an opportunity to hear further about this plan. Maybe he could persuade the Dark Lord to spare as many people as possible as opposed to his usual murderous rampage. In addition, the thought of meeting a group of people plotting to overthrow Dumbledore didn't exactly lessen Harry's interest either. Even with all these reasons, Harry was still terrified.

"Ok, let's go." The boy said with a sigh.

* * *

"You will be fine." Voldemort said as they stood in front of a set of large oak doors. The man waved his hands and it was as if the motion had unleashed the true Dark Lord. Harry felt Voldemort's magic course through him, almost as if the man were trying to physically radiate power to those around him. He swallowed thickly as the horcrux inside of him tingled at the Dark magic.

He shyly followed Lord Voldemort into the room towards a long dark wooden table where twelve people, both men and women, were seated. As the two entered each Death Eater rose from their seat and bowed low, murmuring individual "My Lord"s towards their Master.

Voldemort's robes billowed from behind him as he quickly made his way towards his most loyal and devoted followers. Harry stood awkwardly a few feet from the table, unsure of what to do as well as trying to keep distance between himself and the nearest Death Eater.

"I am impressed. I see a great lesson on punctuality was learned since the last time we met. I am delighted to be able to start on time today. The Cruciatus curse does make its point quite clear, does it not?"

Harry saw a few of the Death Eaters take quick unamused glances at a male sitting at the very end of the table- he was staring down at his hands, deftly avoiding the glares.

"As you all can see we have a visitor, famously known as The Boy Who Lived. You all know my expectations of you around our new addition, and believe me when I say that there will be no second chances when it comes to him. Do not dare disappoint me." Harry shifted on his feet as every eye in the room turned towards him, his gaze wavering towards the floor. "Come Harry, sit."

When he looked up Voldemort gestured towards a large empty chair to his left, indicating Harry's place at the table. Harry walked around the table and winced in embarrassed horror as the chair squeaked across the floor as he pulled it out. He quickly took a seat and immediately stared down towards the table in front of him, feeling incredibly small and ridiculous around these people.

"So, you all know why we are gathered today." Voldemort's tone was intimidating as it lacked the snarky sarcasm Harry had grown accustomed to. This was the Dark Lord Harry had known for the past few years, a man full of great power and intelligence with zero patience for impudence and those who did not live up to his expectations. "Severus, why don't you inform us on what the Order has been up to as of late."

Harry's eyes widened as his head flew up. Severus Snape was a Death Eater? Severus Snape, the man who was considered by most to be  _Dumbledore's_ right-hand man?

"Admittedly my Lord they have been struggling since the failed attempt to recapture the Potter boy. They were clearly not expecting any resistance from him." 'The Potter boy' sat with his mouth open. Was Snape really sitting here having a civil conversation with the Dark Lord? Did Voldemort know the man was with the Order? He taught at  _Hogwarts_ for Merlin's sake!

"Yes, Harry has recently changed his views on Dumbledore's mission and I intend to use that to our advantage."

"My Lord?" Harry leaned forward and glanced down the table to see where the voice had come from. His heat skipped as the crazed woman who attacked him in the library spoke. "My Lord, forgive my curiosity but why- why is the boy  _here_? Surely he has not changed his opinions enough to join our cause."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed for a moment and Harry jumped as a red spell flew past him. The woman's screams echoed through the hall. The Cruciatus curse.

The spell only lasted a few moments before Voldemort ended it, the woman's screams dying along with it. "Certainly you do not think I would put our cause in  _danger,_ Bellatrix _._  Unless you think me unfit to rule and administer my own plans?"

"My- My Lord no! I did not, I would never. Forgive me Master please. Please. I simply meant to inquire why the boy was here with your Inner Circle, your most  _loyal_." She emphasized the last word as if trying to amend for her inquiry. "I would never think you incapable of ruling, My Lord."

"The boy will stay and that this final. The next person who questions it will find their life at an end."

Harry sat tensed in his seat, feeling even more out of place than he had when he first walked in the door. Obviously Voldemort's followers were wary of his presence.

The meeting continued and Harry sat and listened, feeling slightly more at ease over time as the tension in the room died down. He took notice that the seat directly opposite of him was empty and when he finally gained the courage to do so, he leaned forward slightly in his chair and peered down the table once more. He recognized the two from the library, Bellatrix apparently being the name of the woman. He was still shocked at seeing Snape, who deliberately avoided eye contact with Harry throughout the meeting. He inwardly scoffed when he saw the elder Malfoy sitting a few chairs down from himself, recognizing the man from the few times he had seen him at Kings Cross on September 1st. Harry wanted to leap out of his seat when he saw who was sitting to the left of the man- Draco. The boy sat in his seat looking much like Harry, utterly out of place amongst the powerful wizards surrounding them. Draco was currently looking down towards his hands as they fiddled in his lap and Harry couldn't tell if he was bored or terrified.

Wasn't Draco supposed to be at Hogwarts? The school year had surely begun by now. And why was he here in the first place? Harry highly doubted a boy of thirteen was part of the Dark Lord's most trusted.

Harry was abruptly broken from his thoughts as Voldemort and the others rose from their seats. Not knowing what to do Harry quickly stood to his feet.

"I have matters to attend to before we meet again, but it should not take more than a few days. You will know when it is time. Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco stay. The rest of you are dismissed."

One by one the Death Eaters disapparated from the room, all except the two Malfoys and a woman Harry hadn't noticed before now.

"Harry, I believe you are probably acquainted with young Draco Malfoy are you not?" Voldemort asked.

"Um, yeah." He responded quietly, desperately wishing for Voldemort to leave it at that.

"His parents are both part of my Inner Circle and have been for quite some time. One day Draco may be honored with that title as well if he keeps along the correct path." The Dark Lord spoke as if no one were in the room aside from Harry and himself.

Lucius cleared his throat, "It would be an honor My Lord for my son to fully serve you in the future. He is taking his current responsibilities extremely seriously. Isn't that right, Draco?"

The boy's face paled as he realized he was being forced to speak. Harry almost laughed when Draco's usually cocky and arrogant voice cracked as he spoke quietly, "Yes, My Lord."

Voldemort looked intensely at the blonde boy, "I hope you understand how vital you are to us gaining entry into Hogwarts. Do not forget our previous discussion. You are dismissed."

Draco looked as if he were about to become violently ill as he grabbed his father's arm to apparate. Harry watched as the three bowed and quickly disappeared.

"Would you uncurl your lip? It's quite unbecoming." Harry blinked as he looked away from where he had been staring; Voldemort was already seated once more.

"Sorry."

"I take it from your actions that you do not care for the young Malfoy boy?"

"He's horrible."

"Horrible? Certainly that's an exaggeration. His parents are quite dedicated."

"It's not. He's a pig-headed, cocky, superior, over confident, lazy, smug, bothersome, rude, br-"

"Alright that's quite enough, I understand. You don't like him. Sit." Harry huffed and plopped down into his seat. "I was rather hoping you two would get along."

"Eckk, why?"

"I have my reasons."

"That's a lousy answer. Why is he here anyway? Shouldn't he be at Hogwarts?"

"Draco has agreed to assist in our plight and has been taken out of Hogwarts on particular weekends to attend our meetings when able. It is a fairly rare occurrence as we would not want to be conspicuous. Not many students leave Hogwarts during the school year. Luckily the Malfoys are quite esteemed and do not get questioned on such trivial matters."

"So was that his mother? The woman?"

"Yes, that was Narcissa."

"You know, I wouldn't trust Draco to do anything correctly, I hope you aren't having him do something important. He'll probably just screw it up."

"Well thank you for your  _input_ child, but Draco is being closely monitored. He is our only available choice as it is."

"So what is he doing?" Harry asked straightforward, realizing Voldemort had yet to really answer his question.

"It is none of your concern. I did not think you were interested in matters of the war."

"Well, I'm  _a little_ interested…"

"A little?"

"A little."

"Enough to want to assist? You do know as much about Hogwarts as-"

"I thought you weren't going to force me to help? I thought you said I could just sit here and listen."

"That is true, I was merely asking, not demanding. It is your choice, but know that it is a choice which is always available."

Harry looked suspiciously at the Dark Lord, "I know what you're doing."

"Oh do you?" Voldemort said with a smirk as he leaned forward. "Tell me, what am I doing, Harry?"

Harry swallowed, refusing to let Voldemort intimidate him. "You're trying to lure me in with all this Death Eater stuff. Letting me sit in on meetings, get training from you, all in hopes that one day I'll want to join in and fight for you."

Voldemort still sat smirking at the young boy, not agreeing or denying. He leaned back in his seat and changed the subject, "So what did you think of the meeting?"

Suddenly Harry remembered the one thing he had been bursting to tell Voldemort. "Do you know Snape works for Dumbledore?!"

Voldemort chuckled, it was so easy to get Harry off topic. "Of course I do."

"I-" Harry stammered, "Wait. You know? You know he works for Dumbledore?"

"Yes."

"You know that he fights with the Order?"

"Again, yes."

Harry paused. "Well why the bloody hell is he here then?!"

"Harry Harry, calm yourself. Do you honestly think I don't know of my follower's motivations? Of their loyalties? Severus is with us, not the Light. He poses as a spy for me and has quite spectacularly fooled Dumbledore into thinking he's part of the Order."

"Snape is a  _spy_?"

"Yes."

"So he pretends to be in the Order, but he really is in your army? He tells you what the Order is planning?"

"Exactly."

"Did he tell you they were coming to try to get me?"

"He gave me a fair warning, told me that the Order was considering it but that he was not part of the attack and therefore was not privy to any concrete plans. He was in the process of obtaining more information but it was too late- the date had been set and they attacked. Luckily I had an inclination they were on their way, we could have lost many more in that battle."

"Why didn't you keep them out then? I mean, why didn't you make the wards stronger if you knew they might be coming?"

"That is precisely what concerns me. There is a traitor among my ranks."

"What? How do you know?"

"The only way for the Order to have been able to break the wards as they did was if they knew what incantations were used in the creation of the wards. Someone informed them of this information, someone in my ranks. It is the only way. It is currently a matter I am thoroughly looking into."

"You said you made the wards stronger this time right?"

"Yes, it is a combination of various ancient protective spells, magic that is practically extinct. Even if they were to know which spells I used, they would never be able to break the enchantment."

"And I take it you didn't tell anyone this time what magic you used?"

"Precisely. Enough of this, why don't we head to the training room so I can defeat you in another dozen duels?"

Harry rolled his eyes and stood from his seat, his mind swimming with all that he had learned.


	25. Chapter 25

"Why is Nagini with us today?" Harry said as he glanced over at the snake. They were in the training room once again.

"Because she is going to stay with you once I leave."

"What?! Why?!"

"I don't want to hear it, Harry Potter. Whatever complaints you have I don't want to hear them."

Harry gripped the wand at his side tightly in agitation. "I was fine the other day. Nothing bad happened."

"I understand this. But nonetheless I want her with you  _should_ anything happen."

"You do realize she hardly shuts up right? That she talks  _all day_?"

"That she's a complete pest?"

"Yes."

"A bother?"

"Yes!"

"Annoying because she complains all the time? Is incredibly stubborn? Refuses to do as you say?"

"Exactly!"

"I know someone else like that as well…"

Harry's mouth fell in annoyance. "I am not stubborn."

"Sweet Circe, strike him down now because that is the biggest load of rubbish I have ever heard uttered."

"Just- just shut up… OW!"

"Watch yourself, it'll be more than a slight stinging hex the next time you tell me to 'shut up'."

"You know I miss the days when you were just a voice that haunted my bedroom."

"I didn't  _haunt_ your bedroom, I was not a ghost."

"Whatever." Harry mumbled.

"On that note I am leaving, I have heard enough from you for today. Nagini is staying whether you like it or not."

"Fine."

Harry crossed his arms as Voldemort walked over to Nagini and kneeled down, patting her fondly on the head.  _'Nagini you're my favorite horcrux you know that?'_

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Harry threw his hands into the air, why was the man so childish at times?!

After Voldemort disapparated Harry did as he was instructed and set up for his practice. Slightly satisfied with Harry's ability to defend himself, Voldemort had moved onto offensive spells. Harry was honestly surprised Voldemort had yet to ask him to practice on a living person as it seemed to be something the man would readily do. So far the Dark Lord had behaved himself though, sticking to spells that seemed useful but not overly violent or gory. When Harry asked if this was what Voldemort had learned in his third year at Hogwarts the man had laughed as he apparently believed Hogwarts' curriculum to be childish and impractical. The memory of Voldemort's voice rang in his head, 'Do you honestly believe a spell involving tickling a wizard or making their legs dance uncontrollably is effective in battle?'

" _Noceo Morsus_ ", Harry repeated more confidently, finally getting the desired effect as he watched the practice dummy twist in pain. He had been practicing for only about an hour when he noticed the unfamiliar silence in the room. His eyes scanned the floor until he saw the large creature.

' _Nagini, are you asleep?'_

It was a few seconds before a tired answer came,  _'No, snakeling.'_

Harry looked confused for a moment, unused to the snake's lack of interest.  _'Nagini? Are you ok?'_

' _Yes.'_

' _Okay…'_ the boy eyed the snake for a few more moments before turning and resuming his practice. Something felt off as he went through the next few spells, his concentration gone. It wasn't like Nagini to act so sluggish. Sure, she took more naps throughout the day than Harry had ever seen, but something was different, something wasn't quite right. He turned and walked over to the snake.

As he neared Nagini he noticed the usually dark forest green of her scales was paler, almost as if the color were vanishing little by little. Had she looked like this last night? Was that really the last time Harry had paid attention to her? She had been awfully quiet…

He kneeled down to the floor.  _'Nagini?'_

No response.

' _Nagini are you okay?'_

' _Nagini doesn't feel well.'_

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, she was sick, nothing more. Nothing to panic about.

' _Oh, um, can I get you something? I can call Tibby in if you want?'_

' _No, it's ok.'_

' _Okay then…'_

Harry stood. She said she just didn't feel well, maybe snakes lost their coloring when they were sick. Didn't humans become pale when ill? Maybe it was the same with snakes.

' _Ok well, let me know if you feel worse okay?'_

Nagini simply nodded her head before slowly placing it back upon the floor. Harry couldn't deny that she looked weak.

Harry went back to casting, sneaking peeks over towards the snake every few minutes. There was a part of him deep down that knew something was wrong, that he should get help.

It wasn't until an hour later that Harry stopped once more. His chest had begun to hurt, almost burn. He rubbed at his torso as he tried to ease the slight pain. It had been hours since he had eaten breakfast and he had yet to have lunch, so it couldn't have been something he ate not settling well. Strange coughing interrupted his thoughts and he spun around in time to see Nagini become ill across the hardwood flooring. Her long body was wracked with spasms.

' _Nagini!'_ he shouted as he ran to her.

The tremors weren't slowing… strange noises echoed from the snake's mouth.

' _What's wrong?! What's happening?'_

Harry kneeled down on the floor, afraid to touch the snake in fear of hurting her even more. He felt adrenaline fill his veins, why was she acting like this?! What was happening?

' _Nagini, please…'_ He begged, not entirely sure what he was asking for.

' _S-sn-s-snake-'_

' _What? I'm here, what is it?'_ But that was all she said.

' _Ok, don't worry. I'm going to call Voldemort. Don't worry!'_ Harry stood to his feet and looked frantically around, the pain in his chest still present. How was he supposed to get in contact with Voldemort? He couldn't just run through the manor- it was huge, it would take him forever, and he didn't know if the man was even here. Oh shit.

The voice.

Harry remembered what it was like, remembered how Voldemort had communicated to him through his mind, how he could read Harry's thoughts.

_Voldemort?_ He thought and then waited for an answer.

Nothing.

_Voldemort!_ He tried harder, thinking louder and feeling quite stupid for doing so.

_VOLDEMORT!_

_You don't have to scream, little one. I can hear you._

_Oh thank Merlin!_

Suddenly Voldemort's voice was serious, more intense. He could feel Harry's panic through their connection.  _Harry, what's wrong?_

_Something is happening with Nagini._

_What do you mean?_

_I don't know! Something bad is happening! Please come back!_

_Is she okay?_

_Voldemort I don't know! I don't know what to do! Just come back!_

_Alright, I'm coming now. Just wait._

Thirty seconds must have passed, but it felt like an hour to Harry. He was standing over Nagini, thankful that her fits had stopped, when he heard a pop behind him. He hardly had a chance to turn before Voldemort was beside him.

The man kneeled down, "What happened?"

"I don't know, I was just practicing and she said she didn't feel well and so I kept going, but suddenly she was coughing or something and got sick. She was twisting like she was having a seizure."

"How long did it last?" Voldemort said from his place on the floor, kneeled beside his horcrux.

"A long time, I don't know really…"

Voldemort looked at his sickly snake who was silent as she rested on the floor, the occasional slight tremor coursing through her.

"Was she that pale last night?" Harry asked, rubbing absentmindedly at his ribcage.

"No. She was fine, maybe a little quiet."

"She hasn't spoken almost all day, she said she felt sick."

Voldemort's long fingers moved across the back of his own neck, he looked stressed.

A few moments passed before Harry asked quietly, "What's wrong with her?"

"I think it's Dumbledore."

"What?"

Voldemort stood, "Dumbledore must have found another of my horcruxes. I think he's using the connection to get to and weaken her- to weaken me."

Suddenly Harry felt a lump forming in his throat, "I should have gotten help sooner. I wasn't sure if I should get someone, I didn't know what to do I'm so sorry I really didn't know what to do. Merlin I'm so stupid I should have-"

"Harry shush…" Voldemort's hand was on the boy's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry."

"Enough." The grip on his shoulder tightened, no longer comforting, and Harry went quiet. He wanted to ask a million questions- what was going to happen, what were they going to do, was Nagini going to die?

The Dark Lord pointed his wand at the snake and began speaking in Latin. A blue haze circled Nagini and wrapped around her not unlike a much smaller snake. Harry couldn't understand a word of what the man was saying, but assumed it was some sort of healing spell or maybe even a way to identify what was wrong with the snake. After a few moments, Voldemort silenced. Harry looked to the man and could tell whatever he had just done had not worked.

The Dark Lord crouched down and lifted Nagini, wrapping her long pale body around his shoulders.

"Grab on" he said shortly to Harry, who quickly took hold of Voldemort's arm as they prepared to apparate away.


	26. Chapter 26

When Harry opened his eyes they were back in Voldemort's chambers. The Dark Lord immediately pulled his arm out of Harry's grasp as he quickly made his way to the large bed. He lifted Nagini's body over his head and gently placed her down.

' _Nagini, can you hear me?'_

' _Ssss…'_

Harry stood away from Voldemort, not knowing what to do. He wanted to help but also didn't want to get in the man's way. He couldn't understand if Voldemort was angry with him or not, either way he felt it best to stay silent and out of the way. Voldemort was staring down at Nagini, both were unmoving and silent.

Harry moved and sat on the window seat and began picking at the wood on his wand in silence. If something happened to Nagini it might be all his fault…

"Dumbledore…"

The boy looked up as Voldemort snatched the bone wand out of his robes and look towards him.

"You stay here."

Harry's stomach dropped- he could feel Voldemort's anger through the horcrux, he knew that whatever the man was planning it would end badly. "Wait! Where are you going?!"

"Stay here, Harry. I'll be back." Voldemort was already at the door when Harry jumped from his spot and ran towards the man, grabbing his robes.

"No! This is dumb, whatever you're doing is dumb! You're going to get hurt!"

The Dark Lord snatched his arm away, eyes burning red. "Let go of me boy. It's none of your concern."

"Listen to me!"

"SILENCE!"

Harry froze, suddenly aware that he was provoking an already very angry Dark Lord. "I-I just don't want you to-"

Harry was cut off as he felt a sharp burn radiate in his cheek; he was suddenly looking at the opposite wall. He brought his hand to the side of his face in shock as he realized Voldemort had slapped him. Hard.

"Silence." Voldemort said through gritted teeth, barely keeping his anger in check.

The sting had brought tears to the boy's eyes as the two men stared at one another, daring the other to speak another word. It was then that Harry heard the same choking sputters as before.

Voldemort brushed past Harry as he made his way to the bed, this being the first time he had seen the seizure-like tremors travel through his horcrux. Harry stood by once again and watched as he rubbed the sting from his cheek, as well as from his chest. Why did his chest hurt so badly?

Finally he got the courage to speak, "You're going to ruin everything."

Voldemort didn't acknowledge the boy as he rubbed Nagini's head softly.

"Didn't you hear me? You're going to ruin everything! Everything you've worked for during this war! It'll all be for nothing if you run off and attack now."

Tensioned silence filled the room.

"You're so bloody stubborn. I know she's your horcrux and I know what that means for you… but you can't just run off and expect to slaughter The Order! It won't work, you and everyone else will be killed and you know it."

Voldemort continued to stroke Nagini's scales, which somehow seemed even paler than just a few minutes ago. Harry shook his head, "Whatever. You do what you want." He made his way back over to the window seat, looking out across the massive yard.

It was quiet in the room for a long time as Harry gazed out the window. Every once in a while he could hear Voldemort speaking softly in Latin, trying again in vain to heal his horcrux. Suddenly Harry felt a hand in his hair, pulling his head around, not roughly but certainly not gently either.

"Ow!"

"You make me so angry." Voldemort growled in Harry's face.

"Get off!" the boy said, snatching Voldemort's hand away from his hair. He looked angrily to the man and could instantly tell the frantic insanity was long gone. "Only because you know I'm right."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. Harry could tell the man was frustrated, but no longer furious. He knew Voldemort was thinking clearly now. "You broke my snake."

"Did not. It's not my fault and you know it, which  _also_ makes you angry because you can't blame anyone."

Harry made room as Voldemort sat gracefully upon the part of the seat not already occupied.

"So what are we going to do?" Harry asked.

"We?"

"Yes, we. She's my snake too." Voldemort raised his nonexistent eyebrows. "I mean, well, that's not what I meant. I mean she's important to me. She's like my… I don't know. She takes care of me…" Harry finished quietly. "Do you really think it's Dumbledore?"

"I'm certain of it. Horcruxes are extremely strong pieces of dark magic, a normal wizard doesn't have nearly enough power to influence them. I'm almost positive Dumbledore has found another of my horcruxes and is using it to affect Nagini. It's the only explanation."

"How?"

"I… I do not know." Voldemort forced out, obviously unused to saying such phrases. "All the pieces of my soul are connected, so it wouldn't be difficult to use one to affect, or in this case weaken, another."

"So… so what happens if we can't get to him in time?"

Voldemort looked at the boy, "And to think you didn't like her at one time."

"Yeah well, she still annoys me."

"Well it's something you two have in common."

Harry rolled his eyes and ignored the comment as his chest starting to sting again. "Ow…"

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Harry said as he placed his hand over his chest, the pain increasing.

"Tell me what's wrong." Voldemort demanded as he reached for the boy's hand.

"Ow no, don't touch me. I'm okay, my chest just hurts."

"I don't-" suddenly Nagini was convulsing again, the strange sounds coming from her throat. Voldemort was on his feet, looking between the other two in the room, not sure which to go to.

Harry was breathing heavily, his eyes screwed shut and his knees pulled to his chest. Why did it hurt so badly? Moments passed and the pain began to recede, almost as quickly as it had come. His muscles relaxed and he opened his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He answered, feeling completely fine as if nothing had happened.

"How long has that been happening?"

"Um, just today. My chest hurt earlier in the training room, but then Nagini well, you know, and I forgot about it. It didn't hurt that badly before."

"What does it feel like?"

"I don't know. It just hurts, like my chest is burning on the inside."

"Hm."

"What?"

"I think it's the horcrux inside of you. You and Nagini both started at the same time, ended at the same time. You said that earlier your chest hurt and Nagini started having a fit?"

"Yeah."

"It's the connection between you, it has to be."

"Why don't you feel it then?"

Voldemort pondered for a brief moment, "Probably because my soul is so broken. There's not enough left."

"Oh," Harry said, looking towards Nagini lying on the bed. "Do you think Dumbledore is trying to hurt me too?"

"I doubt it, not yet at least. I think he's focusing on Nagini first which is why she seems to be in so much pain, and you're simply feeling the aftereffects from her."

"We have to stop him."

"Again, we?"

"I just, Dumbledore makes me so angry! He keeps hurting the people I care about! He allowed me to stay with the Dursleys, knowing I was being abused, he's hurting Nagini, you, he's been trying to kill me, he manipulates everybody. I'm just tired of it. I want him stopped."

"We'll stop him, little one. We'll take care of Dumbledore, your uncle and aunt, everyone who has hurt you. I promise."

"I feel like that shouldn't make me as happy as it does…"

Voldemort smirked, knowing Harry would be working with the Dark in no time. "They all deserve it, little snake, they all deserve it."


	27. Chapter 27

**DAY ONE**

"Get up."

"No…"

Harry yelled in frustration as the blankets were yanked away from his body and he was exposed to the cold.

"Up!"

"What-" the boy yawned, "What time is it?"

"Past the time you should be up, so let's go."

Voldemort shoved a set of robes into Harry's arms as the boy slowly pulled himself from the warmth of the bed.

"I have much to do today and I cannot spend hours waiting for you to awaken."

At that statement Harry's mind finally caught up and he looked towards the snake that had been lying beside him throughout the night. She looked to be sleeping as she lay unmoving, but still breathing. Her green scales lacked their usual healthy color.

"Do you think- HEY! STOP!" The boy was pulled from his reverie as he felt his shirt being pulled upwards. "Stop trying to undress me! I can do it myself!"

Voldemort dropped the hem of the thin t-shirt, "Well then hurry up!"

Harry unhappily took the small dark green robes and made his way to the bathroom to change- in private.

The Dark Lord was standing impatiently when the boy finally returned, his arms crossed and wand tapping against the skin of his arm. "Finally."

Harry ran after the man who was already out the door.

They ended up once more in the training room as they had most days. Voldemort had ordered Tibby the house elf not to leave his chambers and to alert him immediately if anything changed regarding the snake. At first the Dark Lord was going to postpone Harry's training so that the boy could stay with the snake, but after further consideration he chose to continue with their regular schedule. It would do Harry no good to stay in the room. Knowing him he would begin to blame himself once again for Nagini's condition, and a guilt-laden whining Harry Potter was the last thing The Dark Lord wanted to deal with.

"You really must learn to loosen your wrist Harry."

"Ugg, I'm trying!"

"I'm surprised you haven't broken your wand yet with how hard you hold it."

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that look. That is one of your biggest issues, you are simply too tense! You need to relax, dueling needs to become second nature, it needs to be fluid."

"Well pardon me for not being  _fluid,_  oh smart one." Harry didn't even have to look to know a stinging hex was flying his way before he dodged it.

"I will say you are much quicker on your feet than when we began. A few stinging hexes have done you good."

"See? My sarcasm has come in handy."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Hmph. So do you have a meeting today?"

"Yes, which is why we are here so early. My inner circle is meeting to discuss what we are to do about Dumbledore. Things need to happen much quicker than expected as I don't know how much time Nagini has left."

"Quicker? As in how much quicker?"

"A matter of days. I have requested Draco attend, for he is our best link inside Hogwarts. I need him and the others to be ready as soon as possible." Harry nodded his head. "You are welcome to join again if you would like."

"Really?"

"Yes, but I need you to understand something." Voldemort put his wand away and walked over to the boy, "I know you said you wanted to help stop Dumbledore. You understand what that means don't you?"

"I- what do you mean?"

"I mean, I want you to understand that if you are willing to help us defeat him then that means you're going to be working alongside my Death Eaters, doing and seeing things you probably won't agree with. It means you're going to be working for the Dark."

"I…" Harry hadn't thought about it that way. The first Death Eater meeting he attended had just been well, not for  _fun,_ but just for some bloody excitement. He had known he wouldn't have to actually be a part of anything that happened, but now… could he really work  _with_ the Dark? He had been neutral for so long, could he switch sides so easily? The idea of Light vs Dark and Good vs Evil had become so grey within the past few months. To him, nothing was good or bad, there was no Light and Dark, it was just Voldemort and Dumbledore. He could never condone the murders that the Dark had so easily committed over the years, but at the same time he so desperately wanted Dumbledore out of power. The Order seemed blind to his manipulations and tricks, but now that Harry was away from it all he could see what the man was doing. Sure, he was trying to stop a Dark Lord, but at what cost?

Things had changed so much for Harry within a few short months, and even he knew he was different. He was more mature, more intelligent and able to think for himself. Could he work with people who murdered for  _fun?_ If it meant fighting against Dumbledore could he do it? Harry chuckled lightly to himself, oh how things had changed. Never before would he have even considered helping Voldemort, but he knew so much of the Order and how they thought, how they planned. He really could be the piece that the Dark needed to succeed. He could bring down Dumbledore.

"I want to help. I don't care whose side I'm on, to me there are no sides."

"You told me you wanted to get away from the war, which was why you enjoyed being here."

Harry shrugged, "Things changed. I mean, it's still true, but the more I learn about Dumbledore the more I want him gone. Dead even." Harry surprised even himself with that last sentence. Could he ever wish someone  _dead_? Guess he could now.

He wasn't the Harry Potter the Wizarding World knew him as, not anymore. He could feel that he was different. He refused to be The Boy Who Lived or their Savior any longer. He would get his revenge on Dumbledore, the man who never allowed him a choice, who pushed him into the spotlight, who never once told him the truth, who condemned him to die. He and Voldemort would both get their revenge on the man. Harry would do it for both himself and Voldemort.

"You're certain about this? You understand that you can say no." The Dark Lord asked, giving Harry every opportunity to back out.

"I'm certain."

Deep down Harry always knew what he would choose, for he had chosen it long ago. Denying The Order when they tried to rescue him, recognizing what Dumbledore had been doing for years, understanding where Voldemort was coming from, even if only slightly… it had been a slow process, but he knew where he stood. He stood with Voldemort and the Death Eaters in this fight.

He spoke up again, "But- but can you promise something? Or can I at least ask it?"

"Go ahead."

"I know it's not my place to ask this, but can you  _try_ not to hurt the Order? I mean, I know they're your enemies but…"

Voldemort wanted to roll his eyes. "They're your friends."

"Yeah. They took care of me. They're important to me."

"This is war Harry, I cannot guarantee that there will be no casualties."

"I know…"

The Dark Lord looked down at the frustrating boy and knew he couldn't give Harry what he was asking. "I'll consider it."

Harry's eyes lit up a bit, "Okay. Well then it's a deal, I'll help."

"I said I would  _consider_ it."

"Yeah I know, I know."

Shaking his head, Voldemort took Harry by the shoulder, turned him around, and shoved him forward, "Go, we have work to do."

He held back a smirk as he pushed the boy along. The greatest weapon in the Wizarding War was now fully his to command.

* * *

 

An hour and a half later they were walking into the grand room the last meeting had been held in. They reached the same large doors as before and once again Harry's insides tingled with the rush of Dark magic Voldemort emitted. He didn't feel quite so out of place this time, but he certainly still felt small and unwelcomed as he took the same seat as before. Voldemort wasted no time in beginning, both he and Harry were anxious to get things moving. Time was now of the essence.

Death Eaters clad in black once again stood as The Dark Lord took his seat.

"Sit." Some of his followers hesitated for a moment, unused to Voldemort not reveling in his power over them. " _SIT!"_

Harry smirked as the Death Eaters dropped into their seats almost comically.

Voldemort began, "Certain events have forced us to move with much more haste than previously anticipated. I am no longer going to be as lenient with you, I expect your current duties and the ones I am about to assign to be completed within four days. There is no time for failure, and anyone who does not perform will be executed immediately, I do not care who you are. Understood?"

Voldemort was extremely matter of fact in his orders as his followers nodded their heads or stammered out "Yes, My Lord". Some looked excited, their eyes dancing with the promise of action to come, others looked solemn, almost scared.

Harry sat in silence as he listened to Voldemort give the Death Eaters their individual duties. Most were going to be group leaders of the other less important followers that Harry had yet to see, others were being sent to give warning to allies such as the Dementors to prepare for battle. Harry's skin tingled with the thought of what was to come and he wasn't sure if it was out of excitement or terror. Maybe a little of both. He felt much like he had in the past when The Order would begin strategizing and the nervous excitement and energy filled the air.

"Lucius, you need to get Draco here by tonight."

"Tonight, My Lord?"

"I'm most certain you heard me, Lucius!"

"I- forgive me, My Lord. I apol-"

"Don't apologize, just do it! Get him here!"

"Yes, My Lord!" The corners of Harry's lips turned up as he desperately tried not to laugh. Oh how he loved watching the Death Eaters cower before Voldemort.

"Everyone out, now. Do as you are told and do it immediately. We have  _four days._ "

Not one Death Eater now looked eager. Each of their faces shined with terror as they hurried to disapparate. The Dark Lord was not happy.

"Sweet Merlin…" Voldemort muttered as he rubbed his temple.

"So uh… that went well." Harry yelped as a stinging hex hit him in the chest.

"I am not in the mood right now, boy."

Harry's eyes narrowed as he rolled his eyes. There was no rest for the weary as Voldemort stood to his feet, "Come Harry, you need to eat breakfast. You have work to do."

The boy jumped to his feet, "Work?"

"Of course. Certainly you didn't think you would get out of your own duties?"

"Well, I… I don't know. So what do I have to do?" he asked as they marched through the manor.

"You will be working with Draco to-"

"WHAT?!"

"Must you yell?"

"Draco?! There is no way!"

Voldemort stopped in his tracks and spun around to look at the boy. "Excuse me?"

"I am not going to do anything with him! I refuse!"

The Dark Lord's eyes seemed to shine a brighter red as he grabbed Harry by the back of the neck and hauled him up the steps to their quarters. With a wave of his hand the door flew open and he threw the boy inside.

"Ow!"

"I thought you said you were going to assist me?"

"I am! But not with  _him!"_

"You will do exactly as I say, Harry Potter, just as the others must."

"But I'm not like them! I'm your horcrux for crying out loud! I'm different! Don't I get special privileges or something?"

If he wasn't so consistently dignified Voldemort would have let his jaw drop. He kept his anger in check as he stared at the boy. "You have been with The Order for far too long. The Boy Who Lived has no special privileges here."

Harry crossed his arms, "I didn't mean it like that."

"Well what exactly did you mean?"

"I just don't like Draco.  _Please_ don't make me help him."

"Every other time you have requested something from me Harry I have given it to you without exception."

"But this is different." Harry whined.

"How so?"

"I- I don't know it just is!"

"I assumed making sure you were clothed, fed, schooled, and taken care of were privileges enough, apparently I was incorrect."

Harry stopped talking, suddenly feeling the smallest bit guilty. Voldemort had taken care of him and really had given him everything he had asked for. "Please. I'll do anything else."

"No. And that's final."

Harry huffed and let his head drop to his chest in defeat. He could do this one thing for Voldemort, he could. He just didn't want to. "Fine."

"Good. If I hear one more complaint from you about  _anything_ I will lock you in this room again, do you understand? I've had enough."

"Yes." He grumbled.

Tibby brought Harry his breakfast, which he ate sitting on the bed next to an exhausted looking Nagini. Voldemort was at his desk pulling what looked to be maps out from the numerous drawers. Harry was curious, but didn't want to push his luck by interrupting the man and ask what he was doing.

Once Harry finished eating he asked, "So what do I have to do? I mean, what is Draco working on that's so important?"

Voldemort stopped writing and looked to the boy, "To make a tiresome story short, Draco has been working on repairing something that will gain us access into Hogwarts undetected, at least for a short while. You know as much about the school in its current state as he, which is why I have delegated you to assist him in moving things along quicker."

Harry had to keep from groaning in disapproval at the constant reminder that he had to work with a Malfoy. "So what is it? The thing he's fixing?"

"Have you ever heard of a vanishing cabinet?"

"Um, no? But I assume it's used to vanish things?"

Voldemort's face fell, "Your deduction astounds me, Harry Potter."

"Well am I wrong?!"

"Anyway, we have acquired a set of these cabinets. One is here in the manor and one is in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. Both were quite old and needed repairs, and Draco was the only one who could safely work on the one which is at the school."

"Is he even smart enough to do that?"

"Harry…"

"Sorry."  _Not really,_ he thought.

_I can still hear you you know._

"Would you stop!"

Ignoring the comment, Voldemort continued, "According to Draco the cabinet at Hogwarts is completed. I am bringing him here to finish the cabinet in the manor as he has already had experience in repairing the other. You will help him do this as quickly as possible."

The boy held back another sarcastic comment as Tibby popped into the room once more. "Master, Tibby was sent to tell you that Master Malfoy has returned!"

Voldemort looked to Harry, "You're finished eating?"

"Yes."

"Well let's go."

Harry gave Nagini one last gentle pat on the head before following The Dark Lord out the door. He took his time as he walked behind the man, lagging a bit as he dreaded being forced to interact with Draco.

They turned down a corridor Harry had never been to before and entered through a set of doors. Harry peeked around Voldemort and saw Lucius and Draco standing by a large dark wooden cabinet. As they neared, Harry saw just how decrepit the piece of furniture looked, Voldemort wasn't joking when he said it was 'old and needed repairs'.

"Lucius, you were very timely."

"Thank you, My Lord. Draco was more than willing to come when called." By the paleness of the younger Maloy's features Harry guessed that wasn't exactly the case.

"Draco, Harry will be assisting you in completion of the repairs. You said the other cabinet was finished, correct?"

"Yes, My Lord." He said quietly.

"Good. I need this task completely quickly, so instruct Harry on what to do and he will do it  _willingly_ , won't you Harry?"

The boy almost rolled his eyes but thought better of it, "Yes."

"Excellent. You have impressed me thus far Draco, do not disappoint. Lucius, come with me." With a flourish Voldemort turned and made his way to exit the room.  _That goes for you too, Harry. Be good._

The boy really did roll his eyes this time.

Draco and Harry were left in the room alone and immediately an awkward tense silence filled the air.

Not being able to control himself, Harry said, "You look like you're going to throw up every time he's around."

"Shut up."

"It's true. Why are you so afraid of him?"

"I'm not  _afraid_ of him you twat."

"Looks that way to me. So how did you even get picked for this stupid job anyway?"

"The Dark Lord thought I was the best suited for the task."

Harry gave Draco a knowing look. "Your father volunteered you didn't he?"

"Shut up, Potter."

"You are pitiful you know that?"

"What about you? I thought you were The Dark Lord's little pet? Why have you been sent to help me?"

"I am not his pet!"

"That's not what it looks like." Draco countered with a smirk.

"I offered to help, I didn't know it would involve working with you though!"

"Whatever. We need to start this."

"Fine." Harry said as he looked to the cabinet. "How the bloody hell did you even know how to fix the other one?"

"I figured it out obviously."

"By yourself?"

"Well you didn't expect me to ask The Dark Lord for help did you?!"

"Obviously not."

"Well then stop asking stupid questions! There are books in the library at school about this stuff you dimwit."

Draco walked over to a black bag on the floor, "Cast  _Tergeo_ on it."

"What? What the hell does that do?"

"It cleans it off you moron! Just do it!"

Harry pulled his wand out and gripped it tightly, oh how he wanted to hex Draco into another lifetime. He turned to the cabinet and cast the cleaning charm as Draco pulled a large book from the bag and plopped it onto a table.

The next few hours involved much of the same- sarcastic biting comments were thrown back and forth and with each one the irritation and dislike between the two grew. The cabinet did look slightly better though, but it was slow moving between the arguments.

The two boys were shouting at one another when Voldemort reentered the room. He sighed and with a quick flick of his wand separated them, sending both flying backwards and falling to the floor.

"I certainly hope that is not what has occurred since I have been gone. Surely you two have not been fighting the entire time."

Harry jumped to his feet and almost launched into a tirade about Draco before stopping himself. Anything he said would only incriminate him as well, so he just stood silently fuming.

"No, My Lord. Of course not." Draco said submissively.

"Hm. I hope not. Harry, come with me. Draco, continue until your father comes to get you. You will be staying here in my manor until you finish. Be grateful that I am not forcing you to work through the night."

"Yes, My Lord. Thank you."

Harry shot the blonde boy one last glance before following The Dark Lord out of the room.

"Well I see that was a productive evening. You two did what exactly? It looked as though you simply got the dust off of a piece of furniture."

"Well that's about it since Malfoy wouldn't shut up the entire time."

"What happened?"

"I told you before! He hates me and I hate him. It's that simple."

"Harry," Voldemort stopped and firmly grasped the boy's shoulders. "I need you to get over whatever issues you have with Draco and do this. Immediately. Do you understand why we have to rush?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Harry felt like a little boy being chastised, "Because Nagini is probably going to die if we don't get to Dumbledore quickly..."

"Exactly. You need to get along with Draco long enough to fix that bloody cabinet so that nothing happens to her. I don't care how you do it, just get it done."

Harry was silent for a moment, "Well shite, now I feel guilty."

"Good. That was my intent. And watch your mouth."


	28. Chapter 28

**DAY TWO**

When Harry awoke the next morning Nagini was still lying beside him, more pale than he had ever seen her. He had been awoken twice throughout the night by a sharp pain in his chest before Nagini herself had begun to convulse beside him. They needed to hurry.

He lay there for a moment beside the large snake,  _'Nagini?'_

' _Sss…'_

' _I'm sorry you're in pain.'_

'' _Ss okay ssnak-ing…'_

' _We're going to fix you, I promise. Everyone is working hard to make sure you get better quickly.'_

The snake was silent but she had opened her eyes and was attentively watching the boy. At some unnamed moment in time the two had become quite attached to one another. It had never been a secret that Nagini was extremely possessive of Voldemort, but yet she had allowed this scrawny young boy into their circle and even allowed herself to bond with him.

Nagini had been with Voldemort when he was weak and his body not much more advanced than a frail child. She had nurtured him until he was able to return to power, but something deep inside her cherished the time when the man had relied on her so heavily. When Voldemort regained his body and power there was a small part of the snake that still yearned to be that same security for her Master, but he was the most powerful wizard in the world and the last thing he needed was someone to coddle him. Then Harry, who was not unlike a younger version of the powerful wizard, came along and needed care and protection much like Voldemort had. Maybe this protective desire came from the horcrux, maybe it was something completely different, but Nagini had become quite protective and possessive of this young boy.

' _Not that he'll say it out loud, but Voldemort is really worried about you too…'_

"I can hear you."

Harry perked his head up and looked across the room to where Voldemort was occupying the chair at his desk.

"Good." Harry said as the man rolled his eyes.

Harry stroked his hand along Nagini's scales for a short while until she once again began breathing deep with sleep.

He rolled over and got up from the bed. He glanced over to Voldemort and paused as a long-forgotten memory came to his mind. He smirked and confidently marched over to the dark wooden desk.

"Is there something you need?" Voldemort drawled unenthusiastically, "Or have you simply come over to pester me?"

"You have to show me what you're working on."

Voldemort stopped writing and looked up towards his cocky protégé, "Excuse me?"

"You told me that if I joined the Dark you would show me what kind of 'paperwork' you do." The boy crossed his arms as a know-it-all expression graced his features, "So let's see it."

"I said no such thing."

Harry's mouth dropped, "You did so!"

"I believe you are mistaken. Nevertheless, I don't see what harm it can do at this point."

Harry rolled his eyes, "For Merlin's sake, just admit it."

"Never. Do you want to see or not?"

"….yes."

"Then be quiet."

Tossing his pride to the side, Harry uncrossed his arms as he placed his hands on the desk and leaned forward. He peered at various small stacks of papers.

"Right now," Voldemort began as he pushed a large unfolded map he had just been writing on towards Harry, "I am trying to deduce what the best course of action is once we get inside Hogwarts. Assuming that you and Draco can get along for two minutes to complete a simple task…"

Harry let out a frustrated sigh but stayed silent as he stared at the exorbitantly intricate map of the wizarding school.

"The last thing I need is Death Eaters running around haphazardly and destroying everything in sight."

The intrigued boy finally interrupted, "You make it sound like they're a handful."

"They are most certainly an unfortunate necessity. Continuing on," the man flipped through an assortment of papers and quickly commented on each one, "These are people I have stationed in various countries, a list of those who have become allies and where they are located, Death Eaters who have been killed…" Harry tried to keep up and get a look at each paper but Voldemort pressed on.

The Dark Lord paused for a moment before moving on to what could quite possibly be the most indispensable information he possessed. Not even his followers knew of the details, but he had access to every corner of Harry Potter's mind- he trusted the boy, and the boy trusted him. "This," he paused and looked up, making sure he had the boy's full attention, "is a list of all the departments within the Ministry of Magic."

Harry finally got a good look at the paper, "Who are the people listed?"

"Those are the names of every wizard within The Ministry under my control, as well as their position within the department," Voldemort said proudly, anticipating Harry's reaction as the information sank in.

Harry stared and swallowed thickly, there were  _hundreds_  of names, "What does this mean?"

"It means that once Dumbledore is dead and I have control of Hogwarts, there will be no one to stop me from fully controlling the entirety of The Ministry of Magic."

"And The Ministry controls the wizarding world…"

"Precisely, my little snake."

The upper half of Harry's body was practically lying across the desk as he stared at the names.

Voldemort's followers were working in departments of The Ministry that Harry had never even heard of before.

"So once you get into Hogwarts and kill Dumbledore…"

"My people within The Ministry will take control."

"Wow," A few moments passed in silence as the information sank in, "But what about The Order? They'll still be around to try to stop you."

Voldemort broke into a laugh, "Even if they do attempt to put a stop to my plans, which would be a severe mistake on their part, I will have control of Hogwarts and The Ministry- what will they have? They will be a measly group of rebels who will be on the run for the rest of their existence."

"I thought you said you weren't going to hurt them?"

"I said I would consider it. Understand that I won't hesitate to kill anyone who chooses to rebel against my new government, but they will be given a choice."

Harry knew The Order would never agree to live peacefully under Voldemort's control.

After a few moments Harry pushed himself up off of the desk and with eyes wide stammered, "Merlin's balls that's impressive," Before Voldemort could get a word out the boy hastened, "I know I know, 'watch my language'. Sorry, but seriously, that's incredible."

"Glad you approve."

Harry felt the familiar sensation creep into his chest, "Ah, here it comes…"

He had barely gotten the words out before pain erupted in his chest and Nagini was sent into convulsions. Voldemort stayed seated, knowing there was nothing he could do for either of them.

Once again, the episode stopped as suddenly as it had begun.

"Alright," Voldemort said as he stood, "Enough of this. Let's go, you have work to do." He grabbed the recovering boy by the shoulder and practically pushed him from the room.

* * *

"Alright Malfoy, listen up. I'm not taking any of your lip today, okay? I've had enough, just tell me what to do and I'll do it. Don't talk to me other than that, got it?"

"Whoa whoa, does the Boy Who Lived have his wand in a knot today?" The blonde boy teased as he hauled the same large book they had referenced the previous day and dropped it on the table with a thud.

"Seriously Malfoy, I'm not in the mood."

"Whatever," Draco mumbled as he perused the tome, "Let's see…"

Harry stood for a short minute in frustrated silence as Draco browsed. His anger grew as his mind wandered to the weakening snake, "Are you deliberately going slow?! You do realize we only have a couple days left and that's it right?!"

"OF COURSE I KNOW THAT POTTER!" The large book was slammed shut, "Don't you think I know what it means if we don't get this finished in time?! Or hell, what it means if we  _do_ get it finished in time?"

Harry was startled into silence by the outburst.

Draco stood from his seat, "It means nothing for you! You're The Dark Lord's pet! What do you think he's going to do to you if we don't fix this bloody thing? Huh? Yell at you? Punish you? That's NOTHING! He will  _kill_ me if we can't do this! He will kill my parents!" Draco took a deep breath which seemed to calm him, even if only in the slightest. "You have nothing, Potter. You have no parents, no friends, nothing. You have nothing to lose- no one to care about.  _I do._ So if you think for one second that I'm not trying my ABSOLUTE HARDEST to do this well then you're bloody well wrong!"

Draco's loud panting was the only noise that filled the room for a long time as the two stared one another down. Harry didn't know what he felt- anger, frustration… pity?

No, not pity. Not any longer.

Draco sat back down and was holding his head in his hands as he mumbled something to himself, and even still, Harry felt no pity for the boy. The old Harry might have though. The old Harry might have apologized and agreed to work peacefully, even if only for a short time. He might have felt bad for the blonde boy who sat there alone and scared, knowing that he might meet his death in a few short days, knowing that his parents might be slaughtered before his eyes… the old Harry might have felt sorry for that boy.

But Harry was no longer that person. He was _tired_  of being that person.

"Would you get up?"

Draco raised his head from his hands.

"You heard me. Quit sulking about like a twat and get up."

A brief flicker of fire flashed in Draco's eyes before he stood to his feet. He knew Harry was right; moping about his problem wasn't going to get the job done. They needed to finish, and since they essentially wasted the entire previous day they had a lot left to do.

Hours passed, and even though the two boys were working quickly it was still taking much longer than either had anticipated. For the most part they had kept the arguing to a minimum, which was really a success in itself. Harry had been forced to mask the pain two different times when his chest had begun to throb. Draco had heard the small grunt of pain the first time and asked what was wrong, only to receive a curt 'Nothing' from Harry, whose mind wandered once again to Nagini in their chambers.

"Ok, I say we stop for now and just finish tomorrow. I'm exhausted."

"We can't stop. It's not done yet." Draco snapped.

"I  _know_ , but we haven't done almost anything the past hour except yawn. I'm done. We'll finish tomorrow."

"We don't have much time left! What if something doesn't work?!"

"MALFOY! Shut. UP."

"No! We're going to stay here until it's done and that's that."

Harry was already halfway to the door before he responded in a sing-song voice, "Goodnight Draco!"

The blonde boy was still talking when the large wooden door slammed and broke off the sound of his voice.

Harry stood in the hallway and realized he had no idea where in the manor he was. Thoroughly grateful for the reprieve from the Malfoy heir, he began walking and tried to retrace the path he and Voldemort had taken the past two days.

As he walked, he realized he hadn't given much thought to what was about to happen. In less than three short days he was going to be breaking into Hogwarts along with the Death Eaters of all people… or was he? Voldemort hadn't mentioned if Harry was going to be part of the attack. Knowing how overprotective the man was, the boy would probably be locked in their chambers to make sure he didn't try to tag along. Merlin forbid he get injured even in the slightest… Voldemort wasn't a man to think twice about killing someone should they so much as breathe on Harry incorrectly, but yet he seemed to have no issue with hurting Harry his own self.

Not recognizing any of the corridors yet, Harry continued to walk and paused only for a moment when he heard voices in the distance.  _"They won't hurt me. They won't hurt me,"_ he mumbled to himself as he turned the corner and quite literally ran face first into the chest of Severus Snape.

"Potter!"

"Geeze…" Harry said as he stumbled backwards.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?"

"I'm walking, that okay with you?"

Another man appeared behind Snape, "It'll do you well to watch your words, Potter."

Time to test the waters to see exactly how much fear Voldemort had instilled when instructing his followers not to harm the boy. "I'll do whatever I so please. I'm not his student anymore," he snapped at the man, "Who are you anyway?"

"Rodolphus Lestrange."

"Hm. Never heard of you," Ok, not completely true as Harry had seen this man at the few Death Eater meetings he had attended. Rodolphus was a member of Voldemort's inner circle.

Snape spoke up once more, "Is The Dark Lord aware that you are roaming unaccompanied?"

"I don't know. Does Dumbledore know you're here hanging out with the Death Eaters?"

Somehow Severus Snape's skin paled even more than usual, "Everyone here knows of my purpose within Hogwarts, Potter. They know where my true allegiance lies."

"Hm," Something wasn't right about this whole spying-Snape situation and Harry didn't trust the long nosed man one bit. "Whatever. I'll be on my way now, tell Dumbledore I said hello," he added sarcastically.

He quickly peeked over his shoulder before he got too far and smiled as he saw Snape being curiously questioned by Rodolphus.

Relieved that he averted a serious confrontation, Harry continued on his way and it wasn't too long before he began recognizing portraits on the surrounding walls. He jogged up the familiar staircase and entered Voldemort's chambers.

Nagini was no longer on the bed, but instead had made her way over to the lit fire- her favorite place. Harry walked over and knelt down.

' _Did you get here by yourself?'_ he asked her.

' _Sss… cold.'_

' _Oh, I see.'_ Harry looked around awkwardly, not knowing how to act around this uncharacteristically quiet Nagini. Instead of speaking, he lay down beside her on the rug and began to run his fingers over her dry scales. Harry felt helpless, but the snake seemed to appreciate the affection. Guilt began creeping in as he realized he hadn't spent much time with the ill snake in the past two event-filled days.

The boy yawned. He hadn't expected working on the vanishing cabinet to take so much energy and concentration. His mind was exhausted. He let his eyes close and fell into a light sleep.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, it could have been minutes or hours, when he jolted awake. He looked around the empty room, expecting someone to be standing there. He was sure he had heard…

_Harry Potter! I asked you a question!_

Oh sweet Merlin, Voldemort didn't sound happy. Then again, did he ever?

_What?_

_Harry! Explain why I just had to call you three times._

_I didn't hear you, I was asleep._

A moment's pause.

_Where are you, boy?_

_In your chambers._

A longer pause. Harry jumped when a loud and sudden pop echoed in the room as The Dark Lord appeared.

"Why the bloody hell were you not with Draco?"

The young boy stood from where he had been napping. "Because we were finished for the day. Why? What did he say?" Harry asked, suddenly worried that Draco had told Voldemort about their fight. The man hadn't been happy about the boy's tiff the previous day.

"The boy doesn't speak, just mumbles nonsense, although it was quite obvious that you left on your own. What did I say about traveling the halls by yourself?"

Trying to hide a snicker at the thought of Draco fumbling in fear in front of The Dark Lord, Harry quickly recovered and said, "Uh…"

"Exactly. If I catch you roaming around alone one more time I will make sure you regret it, Harry Potter."

"I didn't get hurt, everything was fine. You told the Death Eaters not to bother me."

"I have also said that the Death Eaters are imbeciles have I not?"

Harry stayed silent.

"Precisely," Voldemort walked over to Nagini and knelt down beside the sleeping creature. "How is she doing?"

Harry shrugged, "The same I think, she said she was cold but that was it. She's lost more of her color…"

"So I see. How have you been today? How many times has your chest troubled you?"

"Only a few times."

"Does it seem to be changing? Does it hurt worse? Less?"

"Umm…" Harry considered it for a moment, "No not really. It's kinda been the same."

Voldemort nodded and stood as he reached into a fold in his robes. "Here," he said as he pulled out a small vile of red liquid, "I informed Severus of what was happening and he said it may help."

Harry wanted to scoff at the mention of Snape, "It  _may_ help?"

"Yes, he could not guarantee it would ease any of your pain. Horcruxes are powerful and little can affect them."

The boy eyed the vial, "Hm."

"What?"

"I don't trust him."

"Who? Severus?"

"Yes."

"Is this some petty feud from your days at Hogwarts or is it actually worth my time to listen?"

"It has nothing to do with Hogwarts," Ok, not entirely true as Harry had a general dislike for the man's consistent glumness, "I just don't trust him. I've seen him work with the Order for too long…"

"You understand what the term 'spy' means do you not?"

"Of course I do! I'm just saying…"

"I understand, but you needn't worry. Severus has been in my inner circle since before the first Wizarding War."

"Hm," the boy eyed the potion once more.

Voldemort sighed, "Will you just drink it before I shove it down your throat? I do not wish to see you suffer any longer."

"Aww, how sweet," Oh how Harry loved to push Voldemort's buttons.

He smirked as Voldemort gave him a look before tilting back the vial and emptied it into his mouth.

* * *

A few hours later Harry was watching distractedly as Voldemort once again showed him the correct way to hold his wand.

"If I have to show you this one more time..." Voldemort let his threat drift off into silence, "I simply don't understand why you insist on gripping your wand so tightly. This is basic. Don't they teach you these things at Hogwarts?"

"I don't know why you get so upset about this!"

"I get upset because this is why half of your spells are absolutely pitiful. I don't know what kind of magic you intend to do without knowing the correct basics."

Harry sighed tiredly and rubbed his eyes, "Can we just stop for tonight?"

Voldemort began to admonish the boy for whining before he realized it was in fact almost midnight. He looked at the tired boy sitting on the edge of the bed. Harry's hair was tousled and his eyes were red rimmed. He slouched, almost looking as if he could topple forward and fall asleep on the spot.

"Alright, you have much to do tomorrow. You need rest."

"Thank Merlin," The boy sighed as he flopped backwards onto the comfy bed, "You're a slave driver."

"I'm trying to get you past magic that involves tickling spells," the man said from where he had taken a seat in one of the large armchairs.

The two sat in silence for a few moments before Harry pushed himself up onto his elbows, "By the way, I'm going with you into Hogwarts right?"

"What in Merlin's name would give you that impression?"

"Well I thought that might be why you're pushing this training thing so hard."

"Do I have to repeat myself? Your magical abilities leave much to be desired."

"You know, you don't have to keep saying that."

"It's hardly your fault, Harry. Plus, you have improved greatly since we first began I must admit."

"Then why can't I go?"

"You may have improved but you cannot adequately defend yourself."

"But-"

"The answer is no."

"If I just stick close to you, I'll be fine."

"Harry, I understand that you have been in combat situations before, but as long as you're under my watch you will do no such thing again until you are properly trained."

Harry let out a dramatic sigh and flopped back onto the bed once more.

"Don't sulk. I cannot guarantee your safety, so therefore you will stay here. You are helping in other ways and for now that is enough."

"Fine," he grumbled as he stared at the ceiling.

"Good, now that's settled. Maybe in the future. Now go to sleep, we all have much to do tomorrow."


	29. Chapter 29

**DAY THREE**

When Harry and Draco met the next day the only thing they had left to do was make sure the two cabinets were corresponding- that once you stepped inside of one you would end up inside of the other. Problem was, that was the most difficult part- to get the two pieces of furniture to 'communicate', as it were.

"Well? Is it finished?"

The boys stood side by side and looked up to the Vanishing Cabinet. Uneasiness crept into Harry's body as he asked the question; the cabinet didn't look much different from when they had begun two days ago.

"Almost," Draco made his way over to the table and flipped a few pages of the book they had so heavily relied on during this project, "I need to cast the final charm which will connect the cabinets… hopefully." He said the last part under his breath, but Harry still heard, "Then we have to test it, we need to make sure it works."

"And we're going to test it how?" Harry hadn't really considered the possibility of the cabinets not working, "Shouldn't it just, I don't know, work?"

"Well, according to the book the most useful way would be to put an object in one and see if it appeared in the other, but seeing as we're both here that doesn't do us much good."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh for Merlin's sake Potter are you that thick? How are we going to know if the object actually ends up in the other cabinet if no one is there to see it? Hm?"

Harry took a deep breath through his nose, oh how he so often wanted to throttle Malfoy, "How about you just shut up and finish."

Draco eyed the other boy before standing quickly to his feet and walked over to the large cabinet. He pointed his wand and took a deep breath. Malfoy had been right, he had a lot more riding on the success of this than Harry.

"Alright… let's see if it works," the blonde boy opened his mouth to speak the incantation just as the door of the room burst open.

Both boys started as the door hit against the wall and turned to see Lucius Malfoy strutting into the room.

"Father!"

"Good morning, Draco," He spared a quick glance in Harry's direction.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked.

"I've come to collect the both of you and escort you to the meeting."

Harry had completely forgotten that they were supposed to gather today, but snottily he said, "I hope you don't expect me to go anywhere with you."

The elder Malfoy's eyes narrowed as he was forced to acknowledge the dark haired boy, "Our Lord insists."

"I can get there on my own thank you very much," he knew the attitude was unnecessary, but Harry's day was always made a bit brighter if he could aggravate either of the Malfoys.

"Apparently Our Lord believes you unfit to escort yourself, so I am here to assure his precious little protégé doesn't get damaged," Lucius said as if speaking to a child, "Although I can certainly inform The Dark Lord that you were unwilling to accompany me," He looked to his son, "Come, Draco."

Harry watched as the two made their exit and left him alone in the large room. He considered waiting a few minutes before making his way to the meeting, solely to emphasize his independence, only to realize he had no idea how to actually get to the large gathering room.  _Voldemort will murder me if I don't show up… I really need to learn my way around this bloody place._

It was either not go to the meeting at all- which would surely end badly, show up late- which again would end with Harry in trouble, or simply catch up to and follow the annoyingly confident purebloods.

He checked to make sure he had his wand and grumpily made his way to the door and out into the hall. He tried unsuccessfully to stay far enough behind the Malfoys so that they wouldn't notice him following.

Lucius looked over his shoulder briefly when he heard the pattering of feet behind him, "Ah, nice to have you accompany us, Mr. Potter."

Harry gritted his teeth and silently followed the two males through the halls.

When they arrived, Harry spotted Voldemort across the room speaking with one of the Death Eaters and quickly made his way towards the man. Voldemort didn't acknowledge him as he approached, but instead took Harry by the shoulder and pulled the boy to his side. They weren't touching aside from Voldemort's hand on the boy's thin shoulder, but the simple act was unquestionably possessive.

The two men continued their short exchange while Harry effectively ignored them. He wasn't interested in whatever they had to say anyway, his mind was still on the unfinished Vanishing Cabinet. The Death Eater, a male whose name Harry didn't know, glanced nervously at Voldemort's hand on Harry's shoulder, almost as if he felt awkward by The Dark Lord's act of 'affection'. There was no comfort in the gesture, and Harry was almost annoyed at the quiet act of authority. Almost.

As they finished, the unfamiliar Death Eater bowed reverently to Voldemort before uneasily doing the same for Harry.

"Did he…" Harry began to question.  _Did he just bow to me?_

Voldemort paid him no attention as he pulled Harry along towards the large elegant table. Taking note of The Dark Lord's actions, every person in the room quickly took their usual seats.

"I have already spoken with some of you on the progress of your assigned tasks," Voldemort began. Harry's attention was stolen by a sudden sharp pain deep within his chest. He took a short breath as his nerves were set alight and gripped the underside of the table for support. Surprisingly, the pain wasn't quite as severe as it had been the past few days, but Harry remembered the potion Snape had provided and wondered briefly if it was working to block some of the pain. Harry saw Voldemort's eyes flash to him as the man spoke and Harry gave a slight nod to indicate that he was okay. The pain was already easing a bit, but once again his mind traveled to the weakening snake who lay upstairs.

He took a few silent deep breaths and refocused his attention just in time to hear, "Draco, can I presume you have completed your task?"

Harry tensed.

"Um, My Lord… I…" the blonde boy's voice faltered until it was silent.

"Draco?" Voldemort asked again, the slight patience that was there a moment before was gone. Harry slid down in his seat, so desperately wishing he could lean back and disappear into the wood.

"I-" Draco fumbled.

And then it happened, Voldemort turned to Harry.

He avoided the man's eyes.

"Harry."

He had no choice but to speak.  _Oh sweet Merlin he's going to kill me,_ Harry thought, almost wishing for Voldemort to hear and take pity on him.

"Um, it's not done yet."

The red eyes of The Dark Lord brightened. For some unknown reason the man's eyes had never really unsettled Harry, except he was angry…

The bone wand twitched in the pale hand, "Why don't you explain to me how you have not managed to complete the one thing I asked of you?"

"Well… um," he couldn't lie, Voldemort would see right through him, "It just took longer than we thought?" He replied in the form of a question, almost asking Voldemort if it was the right answer.

It wasn't.

"You've had three days."

"Yeah, but it was-"

"He refused to assist me, My Lord."

Every head turned toward the young Malfoy.

"What?" Harry immediately said.

"He uh, he refused to listen to me even though I already repaired the first cabinet. Pott- Harry insisted we do things his way, and I was forced to spend the majority of my time fixing what he had ruined."

Harry stared at the other boy in shock, "Are you kidding me? Seriously?" he demanded.

Draco ignored him and continued, never taking his pleading eyes off Voldemort, "It's true, My Lord. He was completely uncooperative and wasted much of our time. You know I already completed half of the task without any issue, so that shows that he is where the problem lies. He also-"

Harry had tuned out by now. Was this kid serious? What happened to the Draco who lost his voice every time he stood before The Dark Lord? Harry gripped the table once more, this time not out of pain but out of fury.

Draco's words from the previous day rang in his head. He could still hear the boy talking in the background of his thoughts.

_**You have nothing, Potter.** _

Voldemort's voice echoed through his head,  _Harry, calm down…_

_**No one to care about.** _

Harry's hands clenched.

_**Nothing.** _

He was out of his seat before he even knew what had happened. The chair he had been sitting in fell backwards and hit the floor with a reverberating crash as he climbed onto the table.

He heard the sound of an arm hitting the table behind him, as if Voldemort had reached out and tried to grab him.

He reached Draco before anyone else had time to move.

Harry flung himself onto the other boy and they and the chair Draco had been sitting in toppled backward and onto the floor. Harry had a hold of Draco's shirt and crawled over top of him, effectively pinning the other boy down. Yells and the sounds of chairs squeaking against the floor erupted behind him, but Harry heard none of it as he pounded his fist into Draco's face. He repeated the action quickly and blood began pouring from the blonde's noise. He had no conscious idea of what he was shouting into Malfoy's face, and he could feel someone pulling at the back of his shirt.

He tried to get a few more swings in but there were hands gripping his arms, pulling him off of the bleeding boy beneath him. As Harry was raised into the air Draco regained his surroundings for a split second, enough time to reach upward and attempt to grab Harry. He missed and slashed his hand across the boy's face, leaving four deep scratches that quickly began to bleed.

Harry used all his strength to try to pull away from whoever had a hold of him, screaming nonsense in the direction of Draco. He was alight with rage.

That is until a tall dark form stood in front of him and gripped the front of his shirt. He was forcefully snatched out of the arms which held him and pulled quickly from the room, stumbling over his own feet in the process.

The adrenaline rushing through his body refused to let his brain grasp who was rapidly dragging him through the corridors. He weakly tugged against the grip on his shirt as he tried to force air back into his lungs.

Before long he was thrown harshly into a familiar room and he failed to catch his balance before falling to his knees. In a heartbeat there was a cold grip around his throat and he was tugged back to his feet.

The grip around his throat was tight but he could still breathe as the adrenaline and excitement paused for just long enough to allow his mind to catch up. His brain almost stopped again once he realized what he had done. He had actually jumped across the table and throttled Draco Malfoy. Blood, he remembered blood. Yelling, fighting, being pulled away. He looked into the face of The Dark Lord and for the second time that day he thought Voldemort was going to kill him, only this time he was certain of it. The Dark Lord spoke with a swift intensity.

"I will assure you one thing, Harry James Potter. If you do not get your act together I promise you I will rip that horcrux from your chest and send you back to those worthless Muggles where you'll be locked in a room and treated like squib filth for the rest of your existence."

The grip on his throat released and Harry fell to his knees once more. He heard the door forcefully slam behind him and a painting fell off the wall with the intensity.

Harry stayed on his hands and knees and stared at the floor in shock as his mind tried to make coherent thoughts.

Pain was radiating through his head as he raised a hand to his face and his palm came away bloody. He shifted and sat more comfortably on his rear. As his eyes quickly glanced around he realized he was back in the room with the still-unfinished cabinet.

He took inventory of himself. His clothes were intact aside from the sleeve that had ripped and was now hanging loosely off of his shoulder, blood was splattered across his hand, and his already-bruising knuckles and face burned with pain.

He stayed on the floor until his breath and heartbeat returned to normal.  _Fucking Malfoy…_ he thought as anger bubbled up inside him at the thought of the hotheaded Slytherin. Cunning, manipulative… Draco sure did live up to his house name. Harry and Draco had never seen eye to eye at Hogwarts to say the least, and it was no different here. Malfoy either had a lot of nerve or a lot of stupidity to lie to The Dark Lord and expect to get away with it, Harry leaned more towards the stupidity option. What did he expect to happen? That Voldemort would have taken his word and punish Harry right then and there? No questions asked? Sweet Circe he was an imbecile.

Voldemort. Fear ripped through his veins at the thought of having to return back to the man's chambers at any point in the near future. He wanted to avoid The Dark Lord at all costs. It was then that the man's words repeated themselves in Harry's head. Voldemort had threatened to send him back to the Dursleys, back to the very people from whom he had rescued the boy, to the people he had promised to protect him from. Harry knew Voldemort was furious, but would he really do it? Was it even possible to remove a horcrux from a body? Harry was terrified the man would make good on his threat. Going back to the Dursleys not only meant returning to the abuse, but also to The Boy Who Lived, which deep down was what scared Harry the most. Part of him said Voldemort had meant every word, the other half said he was just angry.

Harry forced the thoughts from his mind and stood shakily to his feet. He could only assume that Voldemort had thrown him back into this room so that he could finish the cabinet once and for all. It was time to get to work and finish this bloody thing. Luckily Draco was nowhere to be seen, and Harry thought for the briefest of moments of what might be happening to the boy back in the meeting room…

_Whatever it is he deserves it._

Relieved that he might have a few moments without interference, Harry felt for his wand. Somehow through the chaos he had retained it.

He looked at the cabinet and thought back to what Draco had said.

" _I need to cast the final charm which will connect the cabinets… hopefully."_

" _Then we have to test it, we need to make sure it works."_

What on earth was 'the final charm'? He flipped through the mighty tome until he came across a few short paragraphs on the completion of the cabinets. Feeling the need to hurry in case Voldemort came back, he skimmed the words quickly, rereading the needed spell and arm movements repeatedly until it was firmly planted in his mind.

He lifted his wand towards the cabinet and slowly said the incantation, " _Harmonia nectere passus_ ".

He waited… and waited, for something should have happened.

He repeated the spell and still nothing happened.  _Oh Merlin no…_

Harry tried unsuccessfully once more and panic ripped through him. "Why isn't it working?!" He sat down and reread the pages once more, this time taking more care to comprehend the words.  _Maybe I do need Malfoy…_ Harry started at his own thoughts; he didn't need Draco for anything. Malfoy was a distraction, just an obstacle blocking his way from completing this  _one_ thing Voldemort had trusted him to do. If he couldn't finish this… Harry stopped the thought. He would finish. He would finish and earn Voldemort's trust, he knew he deserved it but this was a sorely pitiful first attempt of proving that to Voldemort.

Harry stood from his seat and took a deep breath. It would work this time, he would  _make_ it work… he so desperately needed it to. Voldemort would lock him back in his chambers again in a heartbeat if he couldn't do this. Nagini would continue to suffer…

Harry swallowed thickly and steeled himself, " _Harmonia nectere passus_ ". He forced himself not to panic when the room stayed still. He shifted the wand in his hand and Voldemort's voice echoed in his mind,  _"_ _If I have to show you this one more time... I simply don't understand why you insist on gripping your wand so tightly. This is basic."_

Harry loosened his wrist and said with finality, " _Harmonia nectere passus_ ".

The surface of the large wooden cabinet began to lightly glow, giving it an almost life-like appearance. A choked and relieved laugh broke through Harry's throat as he watched. The glow lasted only a few seconds before disappearing, but even if it was a bit anti-climatic Harry didn't care.

It had worked.

He forced himself not to get too excited, he still had to test it and make sure it worked. How on earth was he supposed to do that? Just put something in the cabinet and see if it disappeared? It seemed to be his best option. He glanced around the room and considered for a brief moment of putting the large reference book into the cabinet as he was more than happy to see that disappear from his life forever. The thought quickly vanished as he realized that if something went wrong he would have no way to try and fix it.

He ended up taking off his boot as it seemed to be a small sacrifice should it disappear forever. He figured his shoe was certainly less important than the various expensive looking items around the room.

He placed the boot inside the cabinet and closed the door. What was he supposed to do now? Was something supposed to happen?

Harry stepped forward and peeked inside the cabinet. The boot was gone.

His face lit up once again and this time he allowed himself a small moment of celebration. He silently cursed Draco to the deepest pits of hell in his mind, not caring at all if Voldemort heard him or not.

He closed the door once more before quickly opening it, but the shoe was nowhere to be seen.

Oh.

Harry closed the cabinet door, waited, and opened it. The cabinet was still empty. Was the shoe in Hogwarts now? Could he even get it back?

A thought occurred to Harry.

"Oh Merlin, this is stupid…" he murmured to himself and he stepped inside the Vanishing Cabinet. Was there really any other way to find out if it truly worked? Voldemort certainly wasn't going to give him the option of it 'maybe' working, and he couldn't know if the boot had made it to Hogwarts unless he went there himself.

He closed the door behind him and waited a few moments. He didn't feel anything, no movement, no noise, no nothing. Just silence.

He put his ear against the wood and listened hard, trying to hear if anyone was on the other side before he opened the door. What a surprise that would be, The Boy Who Lived walking out of a cabinet after having disappeared almost a year ago. He heard nothing so he pushed the wood and peeked through the crack. He saw no one and stepped forward. His foot collided with something at the bottom of the cabinet and he almost tumbled face first onto the floor. He kicked whatever had almost caused him to fall to his death and watched as his sacrificial shoe flew from the cabinet.

He huffed, and slowly Harry stepped out onto the floor.

He was surrounded by more random objects and junk than he had ever seen in his lifetime. Furniture, books, toys, clothing, cracked potion vials, animal cages, the list went on. The room was packed as far as Harry could see and piled far over his head with everything you could imagine. Harry had never been inside this room before, but the Room of Requirement that Voldemort had mentioned was not nearly as astounding as he had imagined.

He turned and looked at the cabinet from which he had stepped from. Instantly Harry could see that it was not the same rickety cabinet that he and Draco had been working on the past few days. The twin that stood proudly before him was in much better condition, it lacked the cracks and dullness of the wood that Harry was used to seeing. It looked as if it had been kept in much better conditions than its brother.

Harry took another step back to get a better look and felt his foot land and twist on something. He ungracefully fell backwards, landing again on some unknown object that had been scattered across the floor. He groaned as a small but sharp pain shot up his back. His return to Hogwarts was much less glamorous than he had anticipated. Hogwarts. He was back inside Hogwarts. The thought hadn't really occurred to Harry, as these tremendous heaps of junk were certainly not a part of the grand school he was accustomed to, but nevertheless he had returned to the one place he had called home. Maybe it was the strangeness of the junk-filled room, but the place felt… foreign. Something was off, he didn't feel the usual sense of warmth and protection the castle had provided him in the past.

_Oh well, at least the cabinet works… wait, THE CABINET WORKS!_

He was inside Hogwarts! His spell had worked! Harry caught himself just in time before letting loose an excited scream, he didn't know who would be around to hear him. He quickly found his long-lost boot amidst the piles of rubble and slipped it on before he jumped back into the cabinet and slammed the door.

He had to tell Voldemort. He had to find the man and tell him this instant!

Harry burst from the cabinet and was once again back inside Voldemort's manor, racing towards the door. He ran through the halls and only managed to take one wrong turn in his haste before arriving back at the meeting room.

How long had it been? Was the meeting still going on? It felt like hours had passed since Voldemort had threatened- no, Harry didn't want to think about that. The cabinet was working and he could stay, Voldemort wouldn't send him back to the Dursleys. He wouldn't.

Harry tried to calm himself before bursting through the door but it was no use, he was so relieved. Voldemort had trusted him with one task and he had screwed it up royally until this moment. He couldn't wait to redeem himself.

He yanked open the doors and froze.

At first he couldn't tell what was going on, but the overwhelming feel of dark magic told him instantly that it wasn't good. Something deep down told him to turn around and leave, but of course, being Harry Potter, there was no listening to that voice. His horcrux rejoiced at the magic thrumming through the air, and part of Harry wanted to get closer to the source.

Only a few eyes had tenuously turned to him when he entered and stepped forward silently. There were only a few Death Eaters that still remained in the room, all of which were sitting tensely in their seats. Voldemort stood facing away from Harry, looking downward to the floor. Only two of his followers were standing, and although they were not looking towards Harry, he could see by the blonde hair that they were the eldest Malfoys.

That's when Harry heard a noise. He couldn't see what was happening through the table and bodies, but he wasn't entirely sure that was a bad thing. He heard it again and this time he recognized it as a small cry of pain, almost pleading. Once again, something deep within Harry told him to leave, to turn around and go back to the safety and solitude of the room he had occupied for the majority of the past few days. He was almost about to consider it when Voldemort's voice broke his thoughts.

"You're lucky he's not dead," A tension filled silence filled the room, "Get out of my sight."

Death Eaters disapparated faster than Harry had ever seen and he watched as Lucius Malfoy bent down. Narcissa turned just the slightest and Harry could see her face contorted in something far beyond physical pain. Lucius hauled a limp form into his arms and vanished.

It had been Draco.

Harry stood for a moment as his mind registered what he had seen. Draco had been the one in pain… his parents were watching…  _"You're lucky he's not dead."_

It didn't take long for Harry to know what had happened; Draco had even warned him about it.

" _Don't you think I know what it means if we don't get this finished in time?!"_

" _He will_ _kill_ _me if we can't do this! He will kill my parents!"_

Draco had been tortured because they had not finished the cabinet… because Harry had attacked him at the meeting…

" _What do you think he's going to do to you if we don't fix this bloody thing? Huh? Yell at you? Punish you? That's NOTHING!_ _"_

Harry came back to the present and realized he was alone in the room with Voldemort. The feeling, quite possibly known as common sense, once again screamed at him to leave and he finally listened and began slowly and silently backing away towards the door. He had been so happy, so excited to relay the news that the cabinets worked…

"Harry."

He stopped, he had just been turning to find the doorknob. So close. He didn't say anything, didn't even move for fear of Voldemort lashing out.

"Harry, come here."

Quickly deciding that obeying was his best option, Harry turned and slowly made his way towards where The Dark Lord was now sitting. Harry stopped short of the table, making sure there was plenty of distance between the two of them.

Voldemort didn't look at him, but instead stared down at the bone wand which was lying on the table before him. Harry could feel the dark magic still radiating off the man, but Voldemort was oddly quiet and still.

The man spoke in a soft tone, "Why do you insist on disobeying me?"

Harry's mouth dropped and he spoke before he could stop himself, "What?"

Voldemort looked to the boy and for the briefest of moments the man's eyes seemed different, tired even. But surely Harry had imagined it for the softness was gone when Voldemort spoke again.

"Why are you here and not completing the  _one, simple_ task I asked of you? Did I not make myself clear?" he asked, obviously referring to his earlier threat.

"I did…" Harry said quietly, the energy and excitement from a few short moments ago long gone.

"You did what?"

"I  _did_ listen to you. I- I finished the cabinet." Why did he almost sound ashamed?

The room was silent for a few moments as Harry waited to hear what the man would say.

"You finished the cabinet," Voldemort restated, almost unsure if he had heard correctly.

"Yes… I went to Hogwarts. It work-"

" _You what?"_

"I-"  _Oh no, wrong thing to say,_ "I had to test it! I had to see if it worked!"

"Sweet Salazar, Harry, you are going to be the death of me."

"I just- I had to! Don't be mad, please! I'm sorry! I couldn't come to you until I was certain it worked!"

Voldemort stood from his seat and Harry quickly took a few steps backwards, fully prepared to make a run for it. What on earth was he thinking? Why did he think Voldemort would be okay with him showing up in Hogwarts of all places!

"I'm really sorry, please don't hurt me."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed for a moment, "I'm not going to hurt you, Harry."

The two stayed unmoving for a few moments before Voldemort sighed, "I did not wish for you to see what happened with Draco."

Harry stayed silent.

"I am not angry," Voldemort pressed.

"You were angry earlier…"

"Correct, I was  _extremely_ angry earlier. What in Salazar's name possessed you to jump across my table?"

"Um…"

"If any of my other followers fought in my presence they would be dead in an instant. I do not tolerate such behavior."

"I know."

"I allow you to get away with entirely too much, Harry Potter."

Harry repeated, "I know…"

"I was going to punish you, but prove to me the cabinets are in working order and I will reconsider."

Harry raised his head, "Really?"

"Yes. Let's go," Voldemort said as he spun Harry around and marched him out of the room. Harry could feel the tension in his shoulders where The Dark Lord's hands lay. He still wasn't entirely convinced Voldemort wouldn't change his mind and decide to punish him for his behavior.

Harry was afraid to speak, and they walked in silence and finally stood before their entrance into Hogwarts. Harry took his shoe off once more and placed it in the cabinet, showing how it disappeared.

"See?"

"Hm. Yes, I see."

Harry stepped forward and was about to place one foot inside the cabinet when he was yanked backwards by his shirt.

"Where on earth do you think you're going?"

"Ow, you're choking me!" Harry said, but Voldemort still held onto the shirt, "I- I was going to show you how it works!"

"I've seen it."

"Okay but I have to get my shoe!"

"I'll send one of my followers to retrieve it. You will not be going back to Hogwarts any time soon."

"But I was already there! Nothing happened."

"Good to hear, but I do not care. You will not be going back."

"You're standing right here, what could happen?" Harry received a silencing look and realized arguing was not only useless, but also stupid. He was already terrified Voldemort would Crucio him into oblivion, and continuing to be disobedient was not going to help his situation. "Fine. Let go of my shirt," Voldemort gave him a look and hastily he amended, "Please."

Voldemort released him and said, "I will send one of my followers to retrieve your shoe and to confirm that the cabinets work, then-"

"You don't trust me?" Harry just couldn't help himself.

"I trust you as much as I trust any 13 year old boy, I want it confirmed. Don't give me that look."

Voldemort summoned one of his followers and he and Harry waited as the man disappeared into the cabinet, only to return to confirm that yes, the Vanishing Cabinets gained them access into Hogwarts undetected. Things were falling into place just as they had one day left before the attack. If all went according to plan, within the next few days Dumbledore would be dead, The Order of the Phoenix would be on the run, Voldemort would have control of both Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic.


	30. Chapter 30

**DAY FOUR, THE FINAL DAY**

He hated to admit it, but Harry was nervous, borderline terrified. He was currently standing in the shower trying to stall before having to go get dressed. Voldemort was assembling all of his available followers today to give final instructions on tomorrow's attack. Harry had begged the man to allow him to stay in their chambers with Nagini, but Voldemort had insisted that Harry accompany him to the gathering.

He had long ago washed his hair and cleaned himself but he was still standing under the flow of hot water, hoping that if he wasted enough time Voldemort, not wanting to be late, would leave without him. Even Harry knew it was a long shot.

After about 45 minutes Harry emerged from the shower, knowing that before long Voldemort would enter the bathroom and pull him from the water himself, and being dragged around naked by Voldemort was not something Harry wanted.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and begrudgingly exited the bathroom.

"Sweet Salazar, I thought you'd never come out."

Harry ignored the man and walked into the massive closet to retrieve his usual robes. He had only taken a step inside when his body was yanked back into the room by an invisible hand. He had to quickly grip the towel around his waist to keep it from falling before coming to an abrupt stop in front of the bed.

"You're wearing those robes," Voldemort said and gestured to the dark green set laid out on the comforter. Harry had grown accustomed to the Slytherin green robes and shirts he continually was forced to wear and therefore made no fuss about the color. He grabbed the clothes and walked back into the bathroom, emerging in a dark green dress shirt and black pants. He walked back over to the bed and took a closer look at the robes. There were silver snake-shaped clasps on the front and black embroidery along the edges. It looked expensive, but it also looked hot, and Harry was none too pleased to put it on. He considered asking Voldemort if he could just wear the shirt and pants, but decided to stay quiet and just do as he was told.

He grabbed the shiny pair of black boots beside him and plopped onto the bed, slipping the shoes on in the process. When he was finished he sighed and flopped backwards, laying on his back extending his arm to rub along Nagini's scales. She had done little the past few days aside from lay with her eyes closed. Both she and Harry continued to have the unannounced spasms, but Harry's were much lessened in pain as he continued to take the pain relieving potion Voldemort had ordered Snape to make for him.

"What's bothering you?"

Harry raised his head to see Voldemort standing in front of him. "What?"

"Something has been bothering you. You've been uncharacteristically quiet since yesterday. What is it?"

Harry hadn't paid much attention, but he supposed he had been oddly quiet the past few hours as the events of the day before had been repeatedly playing through his mind.

"I would think you would be happy for some peace and quiet," he jibed, but Voldemort remained silent as he waited for the boy to answer him. Harry sighed, "I don't know," he mumbled, still lying on his back.

"Harry."

The boy turned his head as he heard Hedwig begin to rummage through her food dish, not concerned at all for the battle that lie ahead.

"I said I don't know. Nothing is bothering me."

"I know you've been thinking about what I said."

Harry was about to say 'Have not' but didn't for fear of sounding childish. Voldemort knew what the boy was thinking at all times, but he rarely commented on it.

The room stayed silent for a few moments before Voldemort sat down upon the bed. He began running his long fingers over his lifeless companion before moving to Harry's unruly head of hair. He always enjoyed running his hands through the boy's locks.

Harry closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling. He often thought of his mother playing with his hair as a baby, but he knew it was only his imagination. He had been much too young to remember his parents.

"Are you going to say it?"

"No. You already know."

"I want to hear you say it," Voldemort pressed.

Why did it matter who said it? Voldemort knew what he had said and what it meant when he threatened to rip the horcrux from Harry and send him back to the Dursleys.

Harry was quiet for a while as Voldemort continued to pull gently at his hair, "Did you mean it?"

"Did I mean what?"

"What you said yesterday about the horcrux and the Dursleys."

"No, I didn't mean it."

"Why did you say it then?"

"Because I was  _angry_ ," Voldemort emphasized his point by pulling sharply on the hair in his hands.

"Ow!" Harry swatted the man's hand away and Voldemort went back to stroking Nagini. "Can you even take a horcrux out of something?"

"No."

Harry sighed. "You acted like you didn't even care," The Dark Lord stayed silent, "You said you'd send me back and you acted like it was nothing, as long as you had your bloody horcrux. Do you even- I thought- you- GAH!" Harry shouted as he jumped up from the bed. He was so frustrated! Why would Voldemort say something like that if he didn't mean it?! Harry knew he had screwed up but did the man really have to do that?

Voldemort knew every corner of Harry's mind and was a skilled manipulator- he could threaten Harry with things that would make his skin crawl. He could scare the boy just enough to keep him in line, while never having to actually act on his words. He could play Harry like a puppet, and Harry hated it. He absolutely hated the fact that he had become so attached to the man.

He was standing across the room and looked to Voldemort, who still sat upon the bed, "I hate you."

"Harry, come here," Voldemort said and pointed to the ground in front of him. Harry hesitated but walked over anyway.

"I did not mean what I said. I would never send you back to those Muggles." He waited for a reply but received only silence before begrudgingly saying, "Salazar only knows how it happened, but you mean more to me than just the horcrux," Harry refused to look at the man, but he was listening and Voldemort knew it, "My life would be a lot more boring if you weren't here."

The corner of the boy's lips turned up a bit but he still stayed silent. He was going to make Voldemort keep talking, apologizing in his own Dark Lord way.

The man sighed.

"You are so frustrating," he said, but there was no malice behind the words.

He was still sitting upon the bed while Harry's face was turned towards the floor, so Voldemort was face to face with the top of the boy's head. He wanted to yank Harry's head up by the hair and scream, but he knew that would only make things worse. Harry was a child, and often Voldemort had to remind himself of that. Harry wasn't a Death Eater, threatening and instilling fear into the boy would only make things worse, not better. Voldemort knew that Harry's life at the Dursley's was full of abuse and neglect, but going back to that life also included going back to Hogwarts. It meant being the Wizarding World's Savior, and Voldemort knew Harry was more terrified of being their hero than he was of his family.

Knowing exactly what would make the boy respond, he tried a different tactic.

_You won't get an apology from me._

Harry's head shot up as he heard the familiar voice echo through his thoughts. Hearing 'the voice', as he had come to know it as, always forced Harry to think of the first few times he heard it while at his uncle's home. It took him to a dark place in his memories, but yet it provided so much comfort.

The boy spoke, "Don't say that stuff again."

Voldemort barely refrained from chastising the boy about his 'order', "I won't."

The boy crossed his arms and the two left it at that.

"Alright," Voldemort sighed as he stood, "We must go."

* * *

There was no one in the eerily silent halls as Voldemort led Harry through the manor. Harry had expected the gathering to take place in the room the Inner Circle of Death Eaters had been meeting in the past week, but when they marched past the familiar set of doors he inquired as to where they were going.

"I don't believe you have been there before. It is on the other side of the manor."

"The other side? How big is this place?" Harry questioned.

"Quite large. There's still much you haven't seen."

Finally, Voldemort stopped in front of a door and Harry could instantly feel the man's powerful magic radiating off of him. They were here. Harry could hear the low rumble of people talking on the other side of the door.

Voldemort threw open the door with a dramatic flourish and Harry paled. There were people  _everywhere._ Each person wore black and immediately kneeled when they caught sight of The Dark Lord entering. Harry's eyes were wide and he took two steps back into the safety of the empty hallway before he felt a force pulling his body inside the large room. It was as if there was an invisible rope keeping Harry close to Voldemort's side, forcing the boy to follow. He considered fighting it but quickly decided his better option was to simply obey and follow as he had already greatly embarrassed himself in front of the Death Eaters the day before. He kept his head down as he was dragged along, but Harry could still hear faint whisperings of the Death Eaters closest to him. Many were shocked to see The Boy Who Lived unharmed and obediently following The Dark Lord.

Voldemort and Harry ended up on a large stage-like platform at the front of the room. They were elevated, and Harry took a quick peek out from under his messy bangs. He immediately wanted to shut his eyes- there were hundreds of people staring directly at him. The room was massive, easily bigger than the Great Hall at Hogwarts. The ceilings were high and Harry couldn't even begin to make out the faces of the people in the back. He moved so that he was standing behind Voldemort enough so that the man could block some of the staring faces. The room quickly fell into silence.

"My loyal disciples," Voldemort's voice rang out, obviously enhanced by an unspoken spell. "We sit on the cusp of great change. The Wizarding World will soon awaken to a new government, a new leader. It has been long known that Minister Fudge believes Albus Dumbledore to be a loyal confidant, but that is soon to change. As long as all goes to plan tomorrow, Fudge and Dumbledore will no longer dictate the happenings of the Wizarding World. We will destroy them and their mindless minions."

The grand hall erupted into cheers and shouts, and Voldemort waited patiently until the noise died, "And you, all those who have been so very faithful, will be rewarded beyond measure. Your family and your children's families will be provided for and considered noble for generations to come. You will be greatly rewarded for your service. Your future hinges on the success of tomorrow."

_Smart,_ Harry thought to himself,  _Reward them, make it important to them, force them to fight for something they want. People will always work harder if they get something in return…_

Harry watched the Death Eaters as Voldemort spoke. They were enraptured. Harry had to admire the man, he had manipulated thousands of witches and wizards across the globe into following him blindly. The ones before him now watched Voldemort's every move, looked at him as if he were a god.

"-rry Potter," Harry perked up and Voldemort grasped him by the shoulder and pulled him forward to his side. Everyone was staring at him. "Oh how I have longed for the day when the Wizarding World could see The Boy Who Lived fighting beside us. Dumbledore and The Order of the Phoenix have kept his whereabouts under wraps, but soon I will show the world where their Savior's allegiance lies. Without Dumbledore, they will follow Harry Potter blindly. He will soon be vital in swaying the world to our side."

Murmurs were traded among the Death Eaters. So that would be his job post-war, convince the Wizarding World that what Voldemort stood for was just and right- a world of Wizarding rule and the pursuit of high status. Of course Voldemort would use him, why wouldn't he? The man was right, they would follow him blindly- he was Dumbledore's little pet.

As his mind was turning, the hall erupted once more into cheers before Voldemort said, "Do not disappoint me. Dismissed." The assembly was finished.

Some Death Eaters disapparated while others began animatedly speaking with one another. The hall was full of energy as Voldemort turned Harry and they quickly exited the door from which they came. There were people in the halls now and as Harry marched past he could hear them talking excitedly of strategy for tomorrow. Many of Voldemort's followers bowed as they passed, wishing The Dark Lord luck or assuring him of their upcoming success. The hall was boisterously loud and Harry was surrounded by black, although no one touched him. He stuck close to Voldemort and held tightly to the back of the man's robes, afraid of losing sight of the man in the mix of people.

They turned a corner and suddenly Voldemort had a tight grip on Harry's arm. He was about to yank his arm away when the world caved in around him and his body felt like it was being sucked through a straw. Not a moment later they were back in Voldemort's chambers with Harry bent over, trying not to heave up the contents of his breakfast. Oh how he hated the feeling of apparition.

When he was able to stand straight Voldemort was gathering papers from his desk.

"Well that wasn't as long and boring as I expec- wait, are you going somewhere?"

"Yes. There are still final plans to discuss and confirm. I will be back later. Stay here, there are too many people around for you to be roaming off by yourself."

"Okay."

"I'll be back later."

And with that Voldemort vanished. Once again alone, Harry looked around the room and decided to pull his Quidditch book out from under the bed to read. He laid down beside Nagini and began to read.

* * *

Harry was running his hands over Hedwig's smooth white feathers when The Dark Lord finally returned to his chambers. Voldemort's hand roved over the boy's shoulder as he passed and headed for his other companion. The man took a seat on the bed and Harry could hear Parseltongue being spoken quietly behind him. He tried to listen but Hedwig's quick attention-seeking nip at his fingers pulled his focus back towards her.

It was when Voldemort stood and made his way to one of the armchairs that Harry finally pulled away from the bird, taking a seat in the chair opposite The Dark Lord.

"I didn't realize you had so many followers," Harry said.

"Hm," was the only response he received as Voldemort flicked his wrist and the fireplace lit. They sat quietly for a few minutes as Voldemort stared into the flames, but Harry was anxious and he wanted to talk.

"Is Draco okay?"

"He is fine," Voldemort answered curtly without looking at the boy.

"I'm sorry we didn't get it finished…"

"That is not a matter we are going to discuss, Harry."

"Okay."

"I know it scared you," Voldemort said as he finally looked away from the flames. Harry knew he was referring to Draco's punishment.

"No it didn't," Harry lied.

"Yes it did, but I would not do that to you."

"Okay."

Voldemort was about to press on but he heard a small commotion from the other side of the room. He turned and saw Nagini once again writhing on the bed as she had been doing off and on for the past few days. He glanced over to Harry who sat harshly rubbing his chest with his palm, but even his eyes were on the snake.

After a few moments the boy asked, "So you think we'll be able to fix her?"

"Yes," Voldemort answered, "Once I finish off Dumbledore The Order will scatter and there will be no one left to hunt my horcruxes. Although I do intend on retrieving the one Dumbledore has been using to weaken Nagini."

"How will you find it? Do you know which one it is?"

Voldemort paused for a moment, he had always kept his horcruxes and their whereabouts a secret, but what did it matter if Harry knew if he himself was one?

"I believe it is a locket I acquired many years ago."

Harry scrunched his face, "You put a horcrux in a necklace?"

"It belonged to Salazar Slytherin, it's a very important necklace."

Harry's jaw slackened, "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Well what about my other question? How will you find it once you get into Hogwarts? How will you know if it's even in the castle?"

"I can sense my horcruxes in the same way you can. They are a part of me."

It was Harry's turn to look into the flickering fire now. A question flitted through his mind, a question he had wanted to ask Voldemort for the past few days, but it seemed so childish…

"Well I certainly appreciate your concern for me, Harry," Voldemort teased.

"Stop doing that! Get out of my head!"

"Never. Your mind is much too interesting a place for me to leave alone. Really though, you mustn't worry."

"I'm not worried, just curious."

"Curious as to how likely it is that I will return alive? I do believe that is considered worry, my child."

Harry groaned, "Fine. Whatever. I just don't want you to lose and end up dead; I don't want to go back to my old life."

"We will not lose I assure you."

"You know that's not as reassuring as you think."

"I have the utmost confidence in our attack. We won't lose," Voldemort said the second part quietly, as if speaking to himself.

Harry hesitated, then finally broke down and asked, "You're sure you'll be okay though? I mean what if you get hurt?"

"I won't get hurt."

"Would you stop? I'm asking a serious question! Just answer it!"

"Harry, my power rivals Salazar Slytherin himself. I am among the most accomplished wizards of all time. The only person who could even begin to duel fairly with me is Albus Dumbledore, and I assure you the old coot is no match."

"I'm just nervous," Harry said quietly. He was nervous for not only the safety of Voldemort, but also of his friends, the other students, the professors, The Order… but if the Death Eaters lost Harry didn't doubt for a moment that he would have to return to his old life.

Voldemort studied the boy, "You have no need to be nervous, little one."

A small smile graced Harry's lips at the endearment, he always liked when Voldemort called him that. He huffed, "So what, am I just staying here while you run off to save the world and take all the glory? I finished that Vanishing Cabinet so I should get some credit."

Voldemort pretended to consider the proposal, "Hmm, no. No I don't believe you do."

"But I-"

"Yes, you will stay here tomorrow, and by 'here' I mean in our chambers."

Harry hung his head dramatically, "Alright."

"It's not the end of the world, you will survive a few hours."

"But it's going to be awful staying here alone and wondering what's going on. I can't even talk to Nagini," he said, as the snake hadn't spoken much at all in the past couple days.

"Well soon she will be as annoying as always and you two can get back to your usual bickering."

Harry once again huffed and rolled his eyes, but the thought did make him smile.

"It will all be over soon. Life for the Wizarding World is about to change."

Harry looked to Voldemort and realized for the first time that the man was on the cusp of achieving everything he had worked for. Under the nervousness and the fear of the unknown, there was a part of Harry that was excited for what was to come, for deep down he truly did believe that Voldemort and the Death Eaters would win.

The Second Wizarding War was about to end.


	31. Chapter 31

**THE FINAL BATTLE**

Even though he went to bed early, Harry tossed and turned for hours. He fell in and out of a dream-filled sleep and laid staring at the ceiling for Merlin-only-knew how long, desperately willing his eyes to close. At some point in the night he gave up, crawled over Nagini, and went to peek out the window. It was still dark outside.

He was alone in the dark room so he decided to take a quick shower. He figured that if he took a shower now he would have more time with Voldemort before the man left for Hogwarts, that is if the man came to say goodbye.  _Of course he'll come back. He wouldn't just leave without saying something,_ Harry thought to himself.

He took his time in the shower and afterward found his wand and decided to practice a few of the spells Voldemort had been teaching him before everything went to hell. It seemed like so long ago that Harry's only concern was to impress Voldemort and prove that he could improve his magic. He thought back to the day in the training room when he and Nagini's bodies had first erupted in pain, the day when everything changed. Nagini lay lifeless now, her usual vibrant scales long faded to a light pale green, and the few times she did open her eyes they were clouded and dull. She was no longer the sarcastic albeit loving companion. She was dying, and Harry so desperately missed his friend.

The door opened quietly and Harry started when a voice said, "Why in Salazar's name are you awake?"

Voldemort stepped through the doorway and Harry felt the man's crimson eyes examining him, probably checking to make sure he was physically in one piece.

"I couldn't sleep."

" _You_ couldn't sleep? The boy who countless times I have had to drag from the bed? I don't believe it for a moment," Voldemort countered. He knew why Harry was awake; he doubted any of his Death Eaters were sleeping soundly tonight.

"Well it's not my problem if you don't believe it."

"Grumpy are we?"

"No."

"Hm."

The Dark Lord was making his way to one of the armchairs when Harry asked, "So when do you leave?"

"In about an hour I will meet with my Inner Circle, and then we will go."

"Only an hour?! Why are you here then? Don't you have things to do before then?"

"I came to see you."

"Oh… What if I hadn't been awake?"

"I would have woken you. I assumed you wouldn't have minded this once."

"Well, good. I would've been mad if you had left without saying goodbye."

Voldemort didn't respond.

"What time is it?"

"About one in the morning. I want to go now while most of Hogwarts is still asleep."

The boy didn't quite know how to respond and it was silent for a few moments. They continued to chat idly for a while, discussing possible outcomes and strategies, but neither seemed too interested in the conversation. Voldemort had grown weary of discussing scenario after scenario, and Harry's mind was elsewhere.

After what seemed like no time at all, Voldemort said, "I must go now. Stay here, Harry, and I will come for you when the battle is over."

"I will."

"You are not to leave this room under any circumstances until I return."

"Okay. Well, show Dumbledore who's boss."

Voldemort chuckled, "I will, do not fear." He made his way towards the door, threading his hand through the boy's hair as he walked past.

Harry so desperately tried to stay seated, but something inside of him was certain to explode if he didn't do one more thing before the man left.

"Wait!" Harry shouted, causing Voldemort to turn. Harry quickly made his way over to the man and shyly hugged him quickly but firmly, "Good luck."

When he was released, Voldemort said, "I'll be back, little snake. Do not forget that I cannot die as long as you are safe."

He turned and exited the room and Harry sighed. Whether for good or for bad, everything was about to change.

The manor was silent for a long while as Harry returned to his now-unenthusiastic practice. He was thoroughly unfocused and after a while he decided to see if he could fall asleep, figuring sleep would be a decent way to pass the time.

It was much too quiet in the manor, and when he flopped onto the bed and closed his eyes his mind once again wandered to the battle. Surely Voldemort and the Death Eaters would have made their way into Hogwarts by now. He wondered what was happening in the school, imaging students being awoken by their Head of House, running to grab their wands…

Harry heard something and picked his head up. He waited and at first thought he had imagined it, but there it was again. He sat up in bed, maybe some Death Eaters stayed behind to watch over the manor? He could make out the faint sound of footsteps- someone running. The sound quickly became louder and Harry was sure that whoever it was would run right past the room, not caring at all if The Boy Who Lived was behind the door.

There was a moment of silence before the door was blown open, swinging back and banging harshly against the wall. Severus Snape walked into the room, greasy hair disheveled and his breath coming in quick pants.

"Potter, come with me," he spit out before Harry's mind had even caught up. "Potter! Let's go!"

The boy didn't move.

"Why are you here? Where are we going?"

"The Dark Lord wants to see you."

"What?"

"Harry, we don't have time for this!"

Harry? Snape practically refused to call him by his first name and it sounded foreign on the man's lips. The boy jumped from the bed and grabbed his wand, "Is it over already?"

"Yes, it's over."

"Voldemort said he would come back for me."

"Yes, well, he ordered me to bring you to him. Quickly, now."

Not giving the boy much of a choice, Snape ushered him out into the hall. Harry had to jog to keep up with the man as they quickly made their way through the corridors.

"I thought it would take a lot longer than that…" Harry said.

"Things went much better than expected," Snape answered shortly. He seemed rushed as his eyes scanned the halls as they went.

Harry's mind was running. Should he have stayed in the room? Voldemort did say not to leave until he came for him, and Harry didn't trust Snape farther than he could throw him… but the man could certainly be busy with the battle and commanding what was likely to be hundreds of forces, it wasn't out of the question for him to send a trusted follower to get Harry instead.

They made their way into the familiar room where the Vanishing Cabinet lay and Harry was practically shoved through the door and into Hogwarts. Once inside the Room of Requirement they moved swiftly around the tall piles and stepped over the junk that lay scattered across the floor.

When they exited into the hallway it was quiet except for the distant sound of a skirmish.

"I thought you said the battle was over?" Harry immediately demanded, still wary on the sudden change of plans.

"It is. The Death Eaters are just finishing up."

"Oh," Harry didn't want to know what 'finishing up' entailed as he could hear the occasional scream echo down the massive halls.

"This way," Snape said and led them away from the distant noise. They traveled in silence and Harry tried to take in his surroundings. He had been in Hogwarts for those few moments when he quite literally fell into the Room of Requirement, but he hadn't truly been  _inside_ the school for what felt like years. It looked familiar as he remembered the paintings, staircases, statues, everything, but yet it didn't feel the same. Something felt… off, and Snape's actions weren't helping to alleviate this feeling.

"Are we close?"

"Yes."

"Where are we going?"

"Dumbledore's office."

_Dumbledore's office? Why would Voldemort be there? If the battle was over shouldn't he be celebrating with The Death Eaters? Or helping them 'finish up'?_

Suddenly the slight feeling of dread Harry had been ignoring increased. Something was most definitely wrong and enough was enough.

"I'm done. I'm not going," Harry said as he stopped in his tracks.

Snape's black robes whirled outward as he halted and spun around, "You most certainly are, Potter."

"No, I'm not. If Voldemort really wants me he can come find me himself."

Snape raised his wand, "Harry, I will stun and carry you there if I must. The Dark Lord won't wait forever."

" _Harry?_  What is with you calling me Harry? Something is not right and I know you're lying to me," he said as he slowly eased backwards away from the hook-nosed man.

Snape stared at the boy through the messy strands of his dark hair, "I'm taking you to safety."

"What? What do you mean by 'safety'?"

Harry's mind raced back to when he told Voldemort he didn't trust Snape and that something wasn't right with the man. Voldemort seemed thoroughly unconcerned and attempted to assuage the boy's fears, but Harry had always thought it strange that Snape worked as a spy for both sides of the war. Unlike Voldemort, Harry no longer believed for a second that Severus Snape was loyal to The Dark Lord.

"You're taking me to The Order aren't you?"

" _Stupefy!"_

Harry easily dodged the spell, mentally thanking Voldemort for the hours of practice. He spun back around and shouted,  _"Expelliarmus!"_

It only took a moment for him to see that he missed. He turned and ran, betting that he could easily outrun Snape by a long shot. He ran hard, not turning to duel as he didn't want to risk making a mistake and being taken someplace he didn't want to go.

He knew that whatever was happening wasn't right; The Dark Lord wasn't a man to change his mind. Voldemort had specifically instructed Harry to stay in their chambers until he returned. Harry mentally berated himself for trusting Snape, even if only for those few short moments.

He heard Snape shouting behind him and the occasional flash of light flew past his head as he ran. He quickly outran the older man and as Harry turned a corner he dodged through a door, quickly shutting it silently behind him. He stood leaning against the door panting as quietly as possible. He listened and heard Snape run past.  _What a bloody idiot,_ he thought.

He caught his breath and waited a few moments before peeking out into the hallway. He slipped out of the room and took off in a jog the direction they had originally come. He had to get back to the Room of Requirement. Harry shortly considered going to find Voldemort, but knew that he'd be an idiot to walk straight into the battle. He needed to get out of the castle. Between the students, The Order, which he was certain had to be here by now, and Dumbledore roaming around, he knew he wasn't safe.

He passed no one in the quiet halls and soon was back to the entrance of the room where the Vanishing Cabinet lay. He looked at the wall… where was the door? Harry turned around and searched the hallway, making sure he was in the right place. Surely this was where they had exited? He recognized the pictures hanging on the walls, the people inside were long gone, probably off watching the battle.

He got an idea and ran his hand over the rough stone wall, thinking it might be a hidden entrance.  _The door has to be here..._

He felt along with his fingertips, hoping to come along some kind of trigger that may open the door, but he found nothing. He had to move. Snape wasn't that dumb, the man would know Harry would eventually try to get back to Voldemort's manor, he'd show up any moment.

Harry walked quickly down the hall, looking behind him and listening for any sign of movement, but all he heard was the sound of the distant fight. Maybe it  _was_ best if he went to find Voldemort? Or any of the Death Eaters? He'd be safer that way surely, as long as the Death Eaters didn't kill him first as they all seemed a bit quick on the draw. Oh Voldemort would be so angry when he saw Harry… but it was his best choice. It was either be found, likely by someone he didn't want to find him, or go find someone to help him.

He turned the corner and ran towards the noise.

As he neared he slowed his pace, not wanting to burst around a corner and have his head cursed clean off. He heard people talking nearby and froze. He listened closely…

" _Get Bellatrix to assist us, she's crazy enough for it. Where is she?"_

" _Where do you think? With The Dark Lord of course."_

Harry rolled his eyes, he saw the way Bellatrix looked at The Dark Lord and often Harry had to keep himself from gagging.

Those gathered were obviously Death Eaters and now was his chance. He slowly came around the corner with his hands raised in innocence, but he still clung to his wand just in case.

No one saw him right away so he cleared his throat and spoke, "Um, excuse me?"

 _Oh wow Harry, that sounded really tough_.

Each of them spun around immediately and Harry's body tensed and his eyes shut tight as a spell whirled past him.

"Are you crazy?! That's the Potter boy!"

Harry peeked through his eyelids at the watching group. There were five of them standing there staring. Harry only recognized one, a man from Voldemort's inner circle. He put his hands down slowly and walked towards them.

He approached them and still felt odd when they each bowed, but he had to use this new reverence to his advantage. He couldn't act like a small 13 year old boy.

Harry cleared his throat, "Is the battle over?"

No one answered right away, until the one woman in the group spoke up, "No, not yet. Although it is going as planned…" her voice trailed off and she looked unsure, so accustomed to adding 'My Lord' onto sentences when speaking to Voldemort. Should the same apply to Harry?

Harry hardly cared; he ignored it and continued, "Where is Voldemort?"

Another man spoke quickly this time, as if he wanted to share in the attention from Voldemort's protégé, "He is supposed to be near the entrance of the castle, near the Great Hall."

Harry looked to the man he recognized, "You're Avery, right?"

"Yes, sir," the man answered proudly.

"I need you to take me to him. I need you to take me to The Dark Lord now."

"Immediately, sir."

"Good. You'll all come," Harry almost added  _'I need all the protection I can get'_  but stopped himself short. They didn't need to know that. "Let's go."

A small chorus of 'Yes, sir' echoed and the group quickly began their trek. Harry wasn't sure if he should speak with them as they walked. Was that considered undignified? He thought to what Voldemort did when around his followers and Harry straightened his back and stood tall, well, as tall as he could at 13 years old. It all felt odd, this feeling of respect from The Dark Lord's followers, but a tiny part of Harry enjoyed it. He always found it amusing to watch the Death Eaters fumble about before their leader, and if they hadn't currently been in the middle of a battle Harry would almost consider this fun.

They walked briskly and passed a few other Death Eaters. Some were resting while others ran past with wide eyes trying to find the next duel. As the small group neared the castle entrance Harry glanced down corridors and saw bodies, some clad in black, others not, and even some in pajamas… suddenly his sense of 'fun' was long gone. People were dying,  _children_ were dying. He stared forward and concentrated on his mission, to find Voldemort and get the bloody hell out of this place.

Harry knew they were getting closer to the action when the Death Eaters accompanying him tensed, wands raised and ready. He gripped his own wand tighter and prayed that he wouldn't have to use it. He could hold his own certainly, for he had been training with one of the greatest wizards in history, but he still wished they could make their way quickly and without confrontation to Voldemort. Harry trusted his own skills, but only so much, he would only be a third year if he were still attending Hogwarts.

" _Confringo!"_ Harry jumped as someone beside him shouted; he turned and saw a group of people running towards them. Many were adults that Harry had never seen but there were also a few older students, only one of which he had ever seen in the school halls. The air around him lit in a multitude of colors and shouts as the Death Eaters attacked the approaching group. Harry stepped backward and out of the way as he watched, unable to bring himself to engage the opposing collective. He watched as two of the students fell, unable to defend themselves against the much more advanced wizards and suddenly Harry wished he had just stayed in the hallway outside of the Room of Requirement.

In only a few short moments the skirmish was over, the Death Eaters Harry had been traveling with were all standing and accounted for and Harry gave a quick glance down the hall toward those who had been fighting for The Light… he regretted it instantly and quickly looked away.

"Come on, let's keep going," he managed to force out, the faster they went the less people he had to see die.

They continued and this time Harry placed himself amongst the Death Eaters so that they were surrounding him on all sides. He didn't want to be hit by an oncoming spell, but he also didn't want to have to defend himself should someone attack. He was hiding like a scared little boy and he honestly didn't care. He hadn't seen any of The Order yet, but he knew he would never be able to attack them if given the chance.

The noise increased and suddenly there were people everywhere. People were shouting as they cast spells, others screaming in pain. Harry's heart was pounding and he ducked his head as spells of all colors flew past. Their group hurried through the chaos and Harry couldn't bring himself to look back as one of them suddenly collapsed to the ground.

He couldn't even begin to distinguish people from one another aside from those in black and others in regular wizarding clothes. Even so, Harry knew Voldemort was near when the horcrux inside him began to send short pleasant waves throughout his small body. His eyes scanned the faces and it took only a moment to spot The Dark Lord who was on the opposite side of the room with spells rapidly flying from his wand. Harry had never seen someone cast so quickly and fluidly, and if there weren't people trying to kill them in that moment Harry knew he'd be mesmerized. Harry heard a wild laugh above the noise and even without seeing her knew Bellatrix was near, as she always was when The Dark Lord was around.

 _Voldemort,_ he thought, hoping the man would hear him.

Harry could see The Dark Lord freeze for only a moment before sending one last green spell towards his opponent. The man glanced around wildly and Harry broke off into a run, glancing around himself, ready to cast a Protego shield at any moment.

Voldemort locked eyes with him for only a moment before Harry was unceremoniously shoved onto the ground. He landed roughly on his rear-end and looked up to see the back of a large wizard in regular clothes. The man was paying him no attention as he cast spells Harry had never heard of before, and as Harry made to stand up the man's body was suddenly engulfed in a bright red light. Harry started and fell back onto the floor. He couldn't get his body to move, couldn't even take his eyes off the unknown wizard as the man fell to the ground in a heap and began to choke on a foreign substance leaking from his mouth.

Without warning, Harry was hauled up to his feet. He could see the paleness of the arm wrapped around his torso and knew Voldemort had a hold of him. The Dark Lord quickly dragged Harry into an abandoned classroom. The room looked like it had been ransacked, but Harry immediately recognized it as Professor Flitwick's classroom. Desks were turned over, books were scattered in all places, and Harry saw a trail of red liquid on the floor that led out the door. He quickly looked away.

Harry turned to The Dark Lord and almost wished he hadn't.

"Don't get mad it's not my fault!"

"What do you think you're doing here?" Voldemort demanded heatedly, "I told you to stay in our room."

"I did! I swear I did but-"

"Then explain why you are standing before me."

"I'm trying! I was in our room but then Snape came and got me and-"

"Severus?"

"Yes," Harry was speaking quickly, trying to get his story out before Voldemort became even angrier. "He blew the bloody door open and said he was supposed to take me to you. He said you wanted to see me and that the battle was over. I swear I didn't leave on my own!"

"I said you were to stay put until I came back for you."

"I know I thought about that but he said you wanted me so I just went! I'm sorry I wasn't thinking!"

Voldemort was silent for a moment, "Where is Severus now?"

"I don't know. I knew something was wrong so I got away from him and found some of your Death Eaters. I don't know where he went."

Voldemort was looking down at Harry but his eyes showed that his mind was far off. Harry stayed quiet for a few moments before asking, "One of the Death Eaters said you guys were winning?"

Voldemort's attention snapped back, "They knew we were coming but nevertheless yes, things are going well but we don't have time for this. You need to stay with me. The wards won't allow disapparation and I don't have time to take you back to my manor, and I'm certainly not sending you back with any Death Eaters."

"Where are we going?"

"To find Dumbledore. I want to finish this."


	32. Chapter 32

" _Where are we going?"_

" _To find Dumbledore. I want to finish this."_

Fear gripped Harry. He wasn't afraid of Dumbledore, but he certainly didn't trust the man. He hated the thought of even being near him. He just so desperately wanted to leave this place. Nothing was right about being here; this wasn't the Hogwarts he knew.

"Do you have your wand?" Harry's attention returned to Voldemort and he quickly held his wand up. "Good. Harry, I need you to stay with me. Do you understand? Do not leave my side," the man emphasized each word of the last sentence.

"I understand."

Harry tried to make his voice sound strong but Voldemort knew better, "Do not worry, little snake, you will be fine. We will find Dumbledore and make certain the Wizarding World never has to bend to his wishes again."

Harry nodded and Voldemort repeated, "Stay with me."

The door was opened and they emerged, Harry trailing closely behind The Dark Lord. Immediately spells began ricocheting off the walls behind them and Harry watched as Voldemort easily blocked any that were lucky enough to be on target. The man didn't seem fazed at all.

Chaos surrounded them as solid black attacked a mix of colors and patterns. People of all ages were in the midst of battle as others lay scattered across the stone floor. Harry didn't look too closely at the faces, he was afraid of whom he may see.

Voldemort battled their way through the halls and at some point had signaled for Bellatrix and three others to follow them. Harry recognized Rodolphus and Yaxley from the meetings, but the third was a horrid looking man Harry had never seen. He was covered in thick hair and the sharpness of his yellowing teeth gave him a beast-like appearance. His eyes were focused intensely on Harry and the boy was certain he saw the man lick his lips. Harry immediately faced forward and moved closer to Voldemort.

They moved swiftly and were halfway across a grand room when Voldemort froze. He spun around and grabbed Harry, pulling the boy behind him. Rodolphus and Bellatrix finished off the few opposing forces remaining in the large room as Voldemort and the others stood silently.

They waited.

And waited.

Harry was about to use their connection to ask Voldemort what was happening when a door opened at the other end of the room. Harry swallowed thickly when he recognized some of the faces.

The first one he saw was Lupin, and suddenly it was as if they were back in Voldemort's chambers once again. When The Order broke through the wards, Lupin had been the one to follow Dumbledore as the man went to find Harry.

Then he saw the others, Mr. Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt first, then Bill Weasley, a young man who Harry only recognized through pictures, and finally Dumbledore. The men moved forward with their wands raised before finally stopping and leaving distance between themselves and Voldemort's condensed army.

Harry watched from behind The Dark Lord and waited to see who would speak first, or if anyone would speak at all before the curses began flying.

"I am growing weary of this, Tom," Dumbledore spoke quietly.

Outwardly Voldemort didn't respond, but Harry's breath rushed from his lungs as he felt his horcrux alight with the man's fury at the common name.

Dumbledore continued, "I do wish for this to end. This war cannot continue."

Finally, Voldemort spoke, "I must confess that I agree, Dumbledore."

"May I assume that suggesting things end peacefully would be too much to ask?"

"You've assumed correctly," Voldemort was measured with his words and kept his remarks short and direct. He wouldn't give Dumbledore an inch in this battle, even if only in word.

"I wouldn't want the boy harmed. I suggest he step aside."

The boy? Dumbledore spoke of Harry as if he weren't standing right before him.

"A bit contradictory for you of all people to say that, Dumbledore. He's perfectly fine where he is," Voldemort said, and Harry picked up on the double meaning.

"So he's a Death Eater now is he?"

"I'm not a Death Eater," Harry butted in, offended. If Dumbledore wanted to talk about him he could do it to his face.

"Ah, Harry…" Dumbledore said with fondness, finally looking to the boy, "You cannot believe everything Tom has told you, you must understand this."

"I can-"

But Dumbledore continued, "I know he has painted us to be evil, to be wrongdoers, but you know better than that. You remember what it was like when you were protected by The Order, how could we ever have wanted to harm you?"

Harry found his nerve, "You let me fight. I was just a kid and you put me on the front line of the war! I don't believe for a second that you were protecting me."

Shaking his head, Dumbledore murmured something quietly to Kingsley, who was standing beside him.

Harry could feel the anger radiating from Voldemort when he said, "I've had enough of this. We're going to finish this now. I've no need to wait any longer."

"We simply want the boy," this time it was a more gentle voice. Lupin. Harry had always felt more attached to the ragged man than anyone else in The Order. He knew Lupin had been his father's friend, and maybe that was part of it, but he also knew Remus had always had Harry's best interest in mind… in all honesty, he didn't blame anyone in The Order aside from Dumbledore for forcing him into battles before he was properly trained. He knew it was completely the man's choice to not only allow Harry to fight on the front lines, but also to keep him at the Dursley's as well as raise him as the Wizarding World's Savior. Every bit of it was Dumbledore and Harry hated the man for it. He hated that the man had controlled him so for long.

Bellatrix, unable to stay silent any longer, shouted in Lupin's direction, "Silence, dog!"

The tattered man didn't seem fazed by the comment as he looked to Harry, "Please, Harry."

From the corner of his eye Harry saw Voldemort's wand move.

"Wait!"

Harry grabbed the arm of the man's dark robes.  _Please don't hurt him!_ He begged through their connection.

Everyone in the room tensed, wands raised higher and feet stepping closer as they waited for the first spell… waited for the battle to begin.

Voldemort didn't respond, just left his bone wand trained on Lupin.

"Please, My Lord," Bellatrix's voice scratched, "Let us have them!"

The room was silent aside from harsh adrenaline-laced breathing. Neither side moved.

That is until Harry stepped forward.

Voldemort gripped the back of the boy's shirt but Harry said, "No. I just want to say something."

"Harry," Voldemort warned.

The boy turned his back to The Light, "They won't hurt me, and Dumbledore can't hurt me in front of the others." Voldemort eyed the boy. "Besides, you'll protect me if something happens."

Harry waited a moment longer before turning back around and taking a small step forward.

He felt as if he and Dumbledore were the only ones in the room. "I just want you to know something," he said and then was silent, awaiting a response.

"What is it, my boy?"

Harry tried not to cringe at the familiar sentiment, "I just want you to know that there is no way in Merlin's saggy beard that I will ever go with you. I will never follow you again. I refuse to let you use me to get what you want, to manipulate people, and I will certainly never trust you again. You know what I am," Harry refrained from using the word 'horcrux' at the possibility of the others now knowing of their existence, "and you never told me. Instead you tried to murder me, except you put me out to fight in a war without proper training and turned your back, hoping I would die, hoping you could be rid of me. You were too much of a coward to do anything yourself- you never told me the truth about what I was, and you never had the courage to kill me yourself. You let other people do the dirty work for you, just as you always will. You are a coward."

The room was silent and Harry continued, "I hate the fact that my friends, the only true family I've ever had, don't even understand what they're doing because you've told so many lies. You get people to do what you want through lies and manipulation, and you're no better than the man you're trying to stop."

He heard Voldemort shift behind him.

"You left me with a man who abused me and a woman who neglected me. I couldn't  _walk_ some days because of the things my uncle did! And you knew it! You knew the whole bloody time! Yet you did nothing about it because you hoped they'd kill me! Or better yet you hoped I'd kill myself!"

Harry was shouting now as the thought of his family sent rage through his blood.

"I hate the fact that I let you do this to me! I hate the fact that my parents so blindly followed you! I hate that you used me as The Boy Who Lived to get people to support you. I hate it, and I hate you!"

Harry raised his wand towards the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He stared down the thin piece of wood at the man who stood silently and unmoving, not even lifting his wand. He didn't think Harry would do it. Dumbledore didn't think for a second that Harry would harm him... he had no idea how much Harry Potter had changed.

He saw movement from the other side, someone to the right of Dumbledore, and he opened his mouth to speak.

" _Avada Kedavra!"_

Harry's mouth was still open as the green light flew past him and hit its target. He stared wide-eyed as Kingsley Shacklebolt's body fell to the ground. Voldemort was standing beside Harry with his wand raised, and a moment of stunned silence passed before the room was alight with spells.

Chaos erupted and Harry was thrown backwards. His back slammed into the wall and he crumpled to the floor. The pain was numbed as adrenaline shot through his body and his head shot up towards the action.

There were only about 10 people in the room but it felt like hundreds. Harry saw a black clad body fall to the ground and he jumped to his feet. He refused to hide, he refused to be scared. He wanted this finished and he wanted to be a part of it.

He gripped his wand tightly and ran into the confusion. His eyes searched for Dumbledore, his wand deflecting the occasional rebounded curse that flew his way. He didn't attack, just defended; there was no one here he wanted to harm aside from the headmaster. He wouldn't hurt his friends.

Suddenly the noise escalated all at once and Harry turned toward the entrance of the grand room. Dozens of people in black were rushing in, firing spells haphazardly in all directions. He smiled and ducked out of the way, not wanting to be crushed in the onslaught of bodies. There had to have been 50 or 60 people running through the door.

He almost began laughing in ecstasy as the feeling of relief flooded his veins, but the moment he glanced at the other side of the room he saw an unpleasant sight. More people were rushing into the room, but this time from a different entrance. They were people of all ages, adults and teenagers alike. The battle immediately outside of the room must have settled, and both sides must have been waiting outside the room, waiting to hear what would happen, waiting to see if they would be needed. They must have heard the start of the battle.

Harry stood and watched for a moment as light clashed with dark. Deflected spells were ricocheting into walls as paintings crashed to the floor and furniture mutilated. From the corner of his eye he saw a spell come rocketing towards him and he ducked just in time for it to glance off the wall behind him. He stood to his feet and raised his wand towards a boy who was staring at him wide-eyed, certain he had been about to immobilize The Boy Who Lived.

" _Incarcerous!"_ Harry shouted as ropes flew from the end of his wand. They wrapped around the older boy and immediately bound his limbs to his sides, causing his body to topple to the ground.

Harry forced his wand down as two sides of his mind fought for dominance. Oh how he wanted to hurt this stupid boy who had the nerve to think he could succeed that easily, but the other side of his mind reminded him he didn't want to harm anyone more than necessary.

He took a deep breath and turned, ignoring the writhing body, and searched amongst the confusion for anyone he recognized from the Dark.

_Harry, come here._

Voldemort's voice echoed through his thoughts. He took off running, not with a destination in mind, but knowing he was headed the right way.

He ducked as a blue curse whizzed past him. He turned his head and watched as it collided with a Death Eater, the man's body toppling to the ground in a heap as blood began oozing from his stomach. Harry turned and fired a stunning spell in the general direction the curse had come, not entirely sure if he had hit anyone or not. He kept running, hopping over fallen bodies and splashing into puddles of red as the battle raged around him.

His eyes were everywhere, ready to block any spell that came his way, and almost ran straight into Voldemort. The man was taking people out left and right, his curses rarely, if ever, missing.

_Follow me,_ Voldemort said as he turned, sparing Harry a quick glance.

Harry obeyed and they wound their way through the lessening mass of people. Harry soon found that being near Voldemort was akin to being the target during dueling practice. It felt as though spells and curses surrounded them, but many came from afar and missed pitifully.

As they made their way Harry threw harmless attacks at anyone he saw from The Light who even got a glimpse of either of them, just trying to keep the oncoming attacks to a minimum. As Harry looked around he saw more bodies on the ground and less people standing, and more screams began to die off into silence.

Soon enough Voldemort stopped.

Harry looked and saw that they stood about 20 feet from Dumbledore, a now tired looking man who suddenly appeared very much his age. His robes were ripped and dirty, as Harry very much expected his own to look as well, and Harry could see red patches in the man's usually white beard.

Voldemort didn't hesitate.

" _Crucio!"_

Despite his appearance, Dumbledore moved as if he were thirty years younger as his wand slashed sharply through the air, causing the Unforgivable to rebound into another direction.

" _Confringo!"_

A fiery mass shot from the end of Dumbledore's wand. Both Harry and Voldemort threw up shield charms and Harry watched as the transparent barriers converged into one and grew. If they fought together they'd have a better chance, even if Harry's magic was pathetic compared to the other two wizards.

The moment the fire dissolved against the shield Voldemort had already cast two more curses. The two elder wizards were so equally matched that the duel became focused less on who had more magical power and ability, and more on who would react incorrectly first. Spells and curses flew back and forth, constantly being blocked and thrown into other directions. A few times Harry tried to strategize, waiting for Voldemort to cast before immediately sending his own curse towards Dumbledore. For the most part though Harry was on the defensive, ready and waiting with his Protego shield should he need it.

Voldemort had begun silently casting now, but Harry could still hear the incantations run through the man's mind as he dueled. It was an advantage that one day may come in handy if they survived this battle.

Far from having the ability to silently cast, Harry yelled,  _"Expulso!"_ with a short flick of his wrist.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Harry noticed that they were no longer being attacked at random. They were dueling with Dumbledore and Dumbledore only, and although the battle around them had calmed slightly, no one attacked from their sides. It was as if each person in the room understood that they were not to interfere, that this was not their fight.

Dumbledore did not aim any spells directly at Harry, but seeing as he was only a few feet from Voldemort he was often forced to defend himself as well.  _He's staying in character,_ Harry thought,  _Dumbledore would never intentionally hurt his precious Savior, not while other people were watching…_

_Everte statum,_ Harry heard from Voldemort's mind the moment before the yellow light left the end of the bone wand, and Harry watched as it flew towards the other man. Dumbledore quickly waved his hand and suddenly a wall of thick dark smoke materialized and Dumbledore disappeared. Instead of traveling through the smoke, the bright yellow spell rebounded as if it had contacted a solid wall.

Harry strained his eyes to peer through the haze. He heard a loud pop behind him and suddenly Voldemort was shouting,

" _Protego duo!"_

There was an explosion and Harry hadn't even had a chance to turn by the time the debris hit him.

He was thrown forward onto his stomach by the force and could feel small pieces of rubble falling lightly on top his body. It took a few moments before his mind adjusted, and when he felt able Harry pulled his head up and looked at the wreckage surrounding him. He managed to sit up and saw he was covered in a layer of dust and grime, as well as many small cuts and scrapes, but nothing seemed too serious.

The sounds of the dwindling battle reached his ears and his eyes instinctively searched for Voldemort. When Harry spotted the man he seemed a bit grungy himself, but appeared to be perfectly fine as he continued to duel. Dumbledore was still intact as well, but now a small section of the wall behind him was completely gone aside from the shards that lay scattered across the floor. It didn't take much for Harry to deduce that either a powerful spell had gone awry or Dumbledore himself had blown part of the wall to pieces in an attempt to use it as an attack.

He quickly made sure each of his limbs still worked and then stood, for today was no day for lying on the ground in defeat. Although the disorientation from the blast was wearing off, he felt an odd sensation pressing into his mind.

Voldemort.

The man's presence was swimming around Harry's mind, making certain the boy was alright without having to distract himself from the duel.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Harry ran back towards the duel. He hadn't yet reached Voldemort before he heard Dumbledore cast an unfamiliar spell,  _"Carpe retractum!"_

Harry hadn't had time to cast Protego before thick black ropes were gripping his upper body. He fell forward and felt himself being dragged across the rough floor towards Dumbledore. He struggled to free himself of the ropes but they were bound tightly around his forearms and torso, locking his arms to his chest. He could feel his skin grating across the stone floor as he was pulled and sharp pain radiated where his skin touched the debris-covered ground.

Voldemort's wand slashed angrily through the air.

" _Diffindo!"_ the man shouted and immediately Harry stopped moving. He took only the smallest of moments to compose himself before ripping the thick rope from his body, desperately trying to untangle his arms. He was barely free when he was yanked backwards.

His small body slammed into something firm but yet oddly soft, and pale white arms encircled his body and kept him from collapsing to the ground. He got his feet under him and instinctively reached for his wand. It was gone.

He frantically looked along the floor, searching for his small wand among the ugly wreckage.

" _Accio Harry's wand,"_ he heard Voldemort say and immediately a small wooden object came flying toward them. Voldemort caught it and tossed it quickly to the boy standing beside him, all while continuing to deflect flashes of light coming from Dumbledore's direction.

_Stand back,_ Voldemort commanded and the boy quickly moved out of the way and watched as The Dark Lord formed a small circle with his hands. It looked as if he were holding an invisible circular object, but Harry quickly saw the magic form as the circle grew. Voldemort released the blue orb and forced it away from him. It flew towards Dumbledore and the old man's words were cut off as a powerful echo reverberated against the walls and through Harry's body. Harry saw the outline of a translucent barrier in front of Dumbledore, but even with the shield the man still toppled backward onto the floor. Adrenaline rocketed through Harry's veins as he realized what was about to happen.

He reacted immediately as he raised his wand toward the fallen man,  _"Expelliarmus!"_

Harry Potter shouted the spell as if his very soul depended on it. The great room was silent in Harry's ears and he saw nothing aside from the wand flying through the air. He threw his hand up and tightly closed his fingers the moment he felt the hard wood touch his palm.

For the smallest of moments everything in the room was dead, unmoving, and still.

He lowered his arm but didn't immediately look at the wand, for his eyes never left the man whose body was now resting on the floor.

The next few moments passed quickly but to Harry they felt like years. He knew that this was the moment it could all end if only he had the strength to utter the Unforgivable, for no other curse would end the war. That's how it was always intended to end anyway, with him casting the Killing Curse.

Dumbledore sat up, eyes wide as two brother wands were raised toward him.

Harry breathed, the incantation on his lips… could he do it? Could he murder someone?

The question flashed through his mind for only a moment as he took a deep breath and spoke,

" _Avada Kedavra!"_

When the words left his mouth it sounded as if two people were speaking. Two bright flashes of green flew from each of the brother wands and slammed into the old man who had yet to move from the dirt-covered ground. Dumbledore's arm extended as if he were trying to block the curse, and maybe his magic was, but only one person had ever survived the Killing Curse.

The green light engulfed him and Albus Dumbledore fell silently backward onto the floor.

A moment of disbelieved silence, and then the room erupted.

Some people screamed, others whooped and hollered joyfully. What little was left of the battle resumed as the moment of shock passed. Some of the Light refused to give up even though their leader was gone while others were once again forced to defend themselves. Others ran from the room in an attempt to escape alive, but those dressed in black soon chased after, victory and determination to end anyone who dared to oppose them on their minds.

Through this, Harry stood silently as Voldemort moved forward. The Dark Lord stopped short of Dumbledore and simply stared at the body lying unmoving and lifeless before him.

Harry was unconcerned about the people still dueling around him; his fight was over. His friends, his professors, The Order, not one crossed his mind as he walked over to The Dark Lord. He stood behind Voldemort and looked down at the white-haired man he once considered family. It was possible he was in shock, but strangely enough Harry felt nothing aside from relief. He didn't mourn, he wasn't saddened in the least… he was simply relieved.

Unworried at the moment about keeping up appearances, Harry moved forward and leaned against The Dark Lord, resting his forehead against the man's back. Voldemort didn't move, didn't even acknowledge him, and that was alright with Harry. He knew Voldemort had hated Dumbledore for many years and Harry was perfectly content to allow the man to ignore him for the moment.

Voldemort did nothing but stare down at Dumbledore's body. The elder wizard looked as he did just a few moments earlier with his torn robes and blood encrusted beard, but his face had softened in death and he appeared years younger.

As Harry stood unmoving, his tired body resting against Voldemort, he could presume from the shouts of victory surrounding them that everyone from The Light were either scattered dead around the castle or running for their lives.

"It's over," Harry whispered into Voldemort's dark and dirty robes.

Voldemort finally turned and pulled Harry away from him. He held the boy's biceps and looked him over, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry answered, and despite his haggard appearance he truly believed that he was, in more ways than one.

Suddenly, an explosion reverberated from outside the room, sending vibrations running through the stone floor under their feet. Harry jumped from the sudden noise and turned, expecting another swarm of Order members and students to come running into the room.

"Don't worry, they're just celebrating," Voldemort reassured, and Harry could hear in the man's voice that he was trying not to chuckle at the nonsense. The large windows rattled in their frames as a few other smaller explosions went off in the distance and soon Voldemort was pulling Harry along saying, "Do you have Dumbledore's wand?"

Harry had forgotten he was holding it and finally looked down at the wand in his hand. It was longer than his own, with multiple odd lumps along the wood and covered in small notches. There were also strange carvings that Harry didn't recognize above the handle.

Harry nodded and Voldemort said, "Good, hold onto it. Now come."

They made their way towards the ruckus the Death Eaters were making and even Harry had to laugh at the childish actions of the rejoicing witches and wizards. Not only had they won the battle and survived, their Master was soon to be in control of the Wizarding World. His followers would be wealthy, noble, and esteemed among those around them and would never be in want. They would be among the leaders of the Wizarding World as would their children, and they would never again lack power or respect.

The Death Eaters lingered in the now-abandoned school, foraging through classrooms and storage closets for anything of value. The kitchens were raided and soon there was a grand feast throughout the castle.

Although he wasn't very hungry, Voldemort insisted Harry eat something. When the boy asked Voldemort if he were going to eat the man stood and replied, "No, I have business to attend to."

Harry's eyes widened, "You're leaving?" The last thing Harry wanted was to be left alone with the Death Eaters.

"Eat. I will be back shortly," and with that the man was gone.

Despite the celebration, Harry felt little more than exhaustion. He had hardly slept and he wanted nothing more than to simply go back to their chambers and collapse upon the bed, but he politely picked at his food as he quietly watched and listened to the people around him.

Shortly Voldemort returned and although Harry tried to stick close to the man they soon became separated. No one usually ever touched him in front of The Dark Lord, but Harry was now being patted roughly on the back and congratulated. Death Eaters were surrounding him, their smiling faces trying to push past one another to reach him and shake his hand. It was all very overwhelming, but Harry accepted their congratulations and even offered some of his own.

When he finally found Voldemort again the man was speaking with a few of his followers. Harry yawned as he waited until they were finished before pulling on Voldemort's robes.

"Can we go back?"

"Go back? Why?" Voldemort asked like it was the most absurd thing he'd ever heard the boy say.

Harry leaned in and spoke quietly, not wanting the Death Eaters to hear, "I'm tired."

Voldemort quickly examined the weary-looking boy before straightening and saying, "Oh. Yes, of course. I wasn't thinking. I'll certainly take you back."

They made their exit, Voldemort assuring his questioning followers that he would return shortly. Every time they turned a corner they were met with more people clothed in black, and Harry felt as if every one of Voldemort's followers from around the world had gathered together to celebrate. The two reached the Vanishing Cabinet and Harry was relieved when they were soon back inside the quiet halls of Voldemort's manor.

By the time they made it back to their chambers Harry was nearly asleep on his feet. He peeked through his closed eyelids just enough to see where the bed was before flopping down onto the comforter. He felt a blanket cover him and the voice whispered soothingly to him,

_Sleep. You are safe, my little snake._

 


	33. Chapter 33

"This is ridiculous. I already said I'm fine!"

Harry was sitting grumpily on the bed with Nagini nestled beside him, pouting not much unlike a child.

"It is not. Now silence."

Voldemort was standing beside the bed, arms crossed and looking quite sternly down at Harry, daring the boy to move from his place. Harry huffed as the Healer used his wand to quickly and tightly wrap a bandage around his skinny arm.

Harry was certain this was a waste of time and that, although his appearance suggested otherwise, he was perfectly healthy aside from a few bumps and bruises. When he finally awoke after the battle, Voldemort had to spell the sheets clean as Harry was covered from head to toe in dust and dirt. Harry had been ordered into the shower and when he emerged, the brutal scrapes and marks on his skin were much more visible. Voldemort had summoned a Healer immediately.

Harry had forgotten the Healer's name, but when he arrived the first thing the man did was check for head injuries, as Voldemort had told him of the blast that had knocked the boy off his feet. There were no signs of concussion or injury, and once the man was convinced each of Harry's limbs worked correctly, he set to applying healing ointments onto the various places the boy's skin was torn and wrapped the areas in protective bandages.

Harry had to admit, he did look like a wreck, but it all looked much worse than it was. The battle had been such chaos, but he certainly remembered being bound in ropes and dragged across the rough stone floor, which unfortunately had left a nasty looking patch of raw skin on each of his forearms.

"Alright, My Lord, I am finished," the wiry-haired Healer said. "He should be fine, I believe there are no serious injuries aside from his arms," Voldemort deftly ignored Harry's 'I-told-you-so' stare, "and that should heal nicely with the help of the ointment and potions. I shall leave them here for you."

The man placed two bottles on the bedside table and looked to Harry, "Apply once a day."

Wanting to make a snotty comment, but knowing he had annoyed The Dark Lord enough already, Harry kept silent and politely nodded. He pulled his feet up and lay back on the bed, immediately ignoring whatever useless conversation the Healer and Voldemort were now having. He stared up at the ceiling until he heard the door close.

"Could you have been any more rude?" The Dark Lord asked with little humor as he took a seat at his large wooden desk.

"Why couldn't you have just done all that? Why did he have to do it?"

"I already told you, Harry, Healer Trius is the best there is and I wanted to make sure you were adequately looked over. I did not spend my years in school learning about the wizard body as he did, my focus lied elsewhere."

Harry huffed again and Voldemort asked, "Why are you so insufferable today? It's thoroughly annoying. And stop picking at your bandages."

Harry stopped fumbling with the bandages covering his forearms and grumbled quietly. He crossed his arms before closing his eyes and rolling onto his side. He really didn't know why he was so angry today. It was the day after the attack on Hogwarts, an attack they had won, Dumbledore was dead and Harry and Voldemort had survived with barely a scratch. Ok, maybe a few scratches, but what on earth did he have to be upset about?

Harry could hear Voldemort mumbling about teenage hormones from his seat at his desk, and although he was aggravated, the boy wisely chose to ignore him. He lay there for a few minutes with his eyes closed, trying to ignore the pain traveling over his body. He wasn't in terrible pain, but whatever the Healer had put on Harry's skin was aggravating- 'healing' is what the man had said, but Harry felt 'aggravating' was much more suitable. He had small cuts along his forehead, nose, and lips where he had been knocked over by the explosion, but luckily the debris that had fallen on him had been light or his back would be aching by now as well.

He felt something heavy slide across his waist. He opened his eyes and grumbled, "Would you please just leave me alo- Nagini!"

Realizing it hadn't been Voldemort trying to bother him, the boy immediately sat up and looked at the snake. She had laid her tail on top of him and was now wrapping her lower half around his small body. Voldemort's chair overturned as the man quickly stood and made his way to the bed.

' _Nagini?'_

The snake didn't respond but she stopped her movement for a few moments, almost as if she were taking a rest. Harry lay back down carefully so as to not squish the snake's body and put his head close to hers. Her eyes were open for the first time in days and they no longer seemed cloudy and unfocused. She still looked tired as her scales were still pale, but they were not the unhealthy dullness they had previously been. The large snake did nothing aside from look at the boy.

Harry smiled at her, "She looks happy."

"Well she no longer looks like she's dying," Voldemort said straightforwardly. Harry gave the man an unpleasant look; Voldemort sure could ruin a moment.

Harry sat back up and asked, "I don't understand. Why is she better all of a sudden? We didn't do anything beside kill Dumbledore. Do you think she was connected to him?"

"No, I took care of what was hurting her."

"What? What was it?"

"My horcrux."

Harry paused, "I don't get it."

"I found my horcrux, the one Dumbledore had in his possession."

"Oh. When?"

"Yesterday, while you ate," Harry remembered back to the day before when, much to his dismay, Voldemort had left him with the Death Eaters during the feast and vanished.

"Where did you go?"

The Dark Lord took a seat on the bed, "Dumbledore's office. Well, first I went and checked his body to make certain he didn't have it on him. He didn't, so I went to his office."

"So did he have the locket like you thought? The special one?"

"Yes, Slytherin's locket. I found it hidden in his office only partially destroyed."

"I didn't know you could only halfway kill a horcrux…"

"Well when you're as big a fool as Dumbledore you can do many brainless things."

Harry was thoroughly confused and waited for Voldemort to continue.

The man sighed and spoke again, "Listen closely because I'm only explaining this once. Dumbledore found the locket and brought it back to Hogwarts. The only thing that can harm a horcrux is Basilisk venom, which I'm assuming he acquired one way or another. The details aren't important at this point," Voldemort said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The problem is Dumbledore is a useless fool, and when he attempted to destroy the horcrux it rebelled and tried to retaliate. That is why he looked so tired and weak yesterday. He wasn't just getting older, he was getting weaker, only the fool couldn't put two and two together."

Harry nodded as he tried to keep up.

"Horcruxes are living beings, and when it felt threatened it retaliated and cursed Dumbledore. One must assume the man didn't feel the effects of the curse until later, and therefore thought he had successfully destroyed the horcrux. He may never even have connected the horcrux with his deteriorating condition."

"What do you think happened? What happens when you try to destroy a horcrux?"

"Any variety of things," Voldemort answered with a professorial tone. "It could try to protect itself by harming the person attempting to destroy it. It could create visions, possess the person, even cast curses, or it could do absolutely nothing. Dumbledore couldn't have realized anything was amiss initially, or he would have gone back to fully destroy the horcrux. Something happened though; most likely the locket tried to protect itself, leaving it only partially destroyed, and cursed Dumbledore. Whatever curse it used was slow-moving," Voldemort paused for a moment, looking hardly willing to continue his next thought, "Unfortunately, we will never know. But I am certain that his comrades noticed a change in the man in the last few days, similar to when we saw it in Nagini."

Harry's mind was slowly piecing it together, "So that's why Nagini got weaker and weaker? She was slowly dying like Dumbledore?"

"Exactly."

"But the horcrux didn't curse her, so why was she affected by it?"

"Do not forget that you too were affected, young one. The pains in your chest…" he gestured to the boy. "It did not affect you as deeply as it did Nagini because you were, well, not exactly planned."

"What?" Harry said with his face twisted in disgust as his young mind wandered to unplanned babies.

"There is a process one must go through to create a horcrux, certain things must happen, but with you it was very much an accident. Your horcrux is different than the others and while you are similar you are also not the same. You still have a piece of my soul, it is just different, and therefore acts differently."

"So what's the process of making a horcrux?"

"It is none of your concern."

"Why? It's not like I'm going to go out and make one! I just want to know."

"Yours was made accidentally when the Killing Curse rebounded, the others were intentional, that is all you need to know."

"I-"

"No, and that is final."

Harry sighed and flopped back into the pillows, he was just curious for Merlin's sake! The man always had to be so dramatic. He felt something brush against his face and he smiled.

' _Hey, Nagini…'_

The snake continued to butt heads with the boy, rubbing her scales across his skin happily.

"Ow," Harry said quietly when she hit the fresh scrapes on his nose.

' _Nagini, I know you're happy but please be careful'_ Voldemort hissed in Parseltongue.

"She's fine, don't bother her," Harry retorted, happy to see even a little bit of his old friend back.

He broke into a laugh when she began flicking her tongue over his face, tasting and examining the boy. Voldemort sat and watched the reunion amusedly, the smallest of smiles turning the corner of his lips.

When Nagini finally stopped Harry asked, "So you said you took care of whatever was hurting her, which was the messed up horcrux in the locket, right?"

Voldemort was pulled from his reverie, "Yes."

"So what did you have to do? How did you stop it?"

"I had to destroy it."

Harry bolted forward, "What?!"

"I had to. It was killing her, and in time it might have killed you too. It affected all of my horcruxes, therefore it was much more prudent to destroy the ruined one than have it destroy the others."

"Oh, well I guess that makes sense. Shouldn't I have felt it or something?"

"Possibly, possibly not. It was so weak by the time I destroyed it you probably didn't feel a thing. Plus, you were sleeping when I destroyed it."

"So if one day the horcrux in me dies, would I still be alive?"

Voldemort stood, "There are too many questions coming from you today."

"Well, I mean, I think that's a decent question to ask."

"You must understand something, Harry. People don't make horcruxes out of living things… they don't even make horcruxes in general. This is a very dark form of magic and very little is known about it. You must understand that these questions you ask cannot always be answered."

Harry just stared.

"One day I will answer all of your questions, but we cannot fit all of them into today."

"Okay."

"Alright," Voldemort seemed relieved to have ended the conversation as he took a seat at his desk. "Alright, enough of that. For Salazar's sake sometimes you wear me out."

Harry murmured quietly to himself, "Only 'cuz you're so old…"

"What was that?" Voldemort said as he lazily aimed his wand toward Harry.

"No! Wait!" Harry threw his arms out to protect himself, "I'm hurt don't forget!"

"You have annoyingly insisted all morning that you are perfectly fine. I certainly don't think a small stinging hex will make matters worse."

"No, I'm severely injured," Harry threw himself dramatically into the pillows, "Ow… so much pain…."

Voldemort lowered his wand and fought against a smirk.

A few minutes passed and Harry opened one eye. Voldemort was sitting at his desk looking intently down at his wand. No, wait, it wasn't his wand, it was Dumbledore's wand. The man was running his hand along the simple piece of wood.

Harry lifted himself onto his elbows, "It's weird looking, isn't it?"

Voldemort glanced up at the boy but took a moment to answer, "You have no idea what this wand is, do you?"

"It's Dumbledore's wand."

"Not just Dumbledore's, this wand goes back much farther than Dumbledore. This is the Elder Wand, Harry."

The boy sat confused for a moment before jumping from the bed and heading to Voldemort's desk, suddenly very interested.

"Have you ever heard of the Elder Wand?"

The boy shook his head.

"Harry," Voldemort held the wand up, "This is the most powerful wand in the world."

A moment of silence passed.

"Are you kidding me? This is a joke. You're such a-"

Voldemort put his hand over the boy's mouth, "Silence. I am quite serious. You have no idea what you have here." He kept his hand over the boy's mouth and continued, "It is said that this wand can do magic no other wand has the ability to, to say it is powerful is not giving it enough justice."

The Dark Lord removed his hand and Harry stared at the wand. Although it was oddly designed, it seemed no more special than his own wand.

"This is easily the most famous wand ever fashioned," Voldemort said as he ran his long fingers along the elder wood, "It has many names, The Wand of Destiny, The Deathstick, The-"

"The Deathstick?" Harry interrupted, slightly shocked at the title.

Voldemort gave the boy a look, indicating he didn't appreciate being interrupted, "Yes. The Master of this wand has the potential to become the Master of Death."

"So, like, they couldn't die?"

"Exactly."

Harry just shook his head, it was too much to take in, "So who owns it now if Dumbledore is dead?"

"You do, Harry."

"What?!"

"You disarmed Dumbledore, the wand is yours."

Harry looked at the wand in awe. He now owned the most powerful wand that had ever existed? It seemed ridiculous, but even Voldemort seemed to be entranced by it.

Voldemort interrupted his thoughts, "I must say I am eager to use it."

"Excuse me? It's _my_  wand."

"And I could easily take it from you, so consider it a gift."

"A gift? But I'm the one who disarmed him!" Even after all this time Harry was still shocked at the man's arrogance. "You don't get to use it!"

"A bit spoiled are we?" Voldemort smirked as he put the Elder Wand in his robes.

"No, I'm not," Harry said as he held his hand out. "Give it to me."

Voldemort raised his hairless eyebrow at the boy but Harry refused to amend his command.

"Do you think you scare me?" The Dark Lord said with a confident grin as he rose to his feet, suddenly towering over Harry.

The boy's extended hand faltered for a moment. Voldemort simply chuckled and moved past the boy.

With a huff of indignation, Harry chose to ignore the man. Voldemort had said the wand belonged to Harry, and that he should consider it 'a gift'. He wasn't worried, he knew Voldemort would eventually return the wand… eventually.

"By the way, I was impressed with you yesterday."

"Yeah? Because of what I did to Dumbledore?" The young boy replied excitedly as thoughts of the wand were pushed to the back of his mind. It wasn't every day Voldemort said he was impressed by you.

"Precisely, although do not forget it was a duel effort."

"Well, yeah, I guess you helped a bit," Harry teased, thoroughly enjoying provoking the unamused Dark Lord. "Seriously though, did you see the spell? Did you see the green? Did you see it?"

Voldemort smirked at the excited boy, "I saw it."

"It was the Killing Curse! It actually worked!"

"You were excellent, Harry."

"I just- it was like it all happened in slow motion and knew I had to at least  _try_ the curse. I didn't really expect it to actually work."

"And why is that?" Voldemort asked as he sat in the oversized armchair.

"Well, you have to mean it for it to work. I- I hated Dumbledore, but I guess I never knew I could hate someone so much I would actually  _want_  to kill them…" the boy said as he looked down at the wooden desk.

"You're much different now, Harry, you aren't as you used to be."

"Yeah… but you were impressed? So I did okay?"

"Yes, you did."

Harry couldn't keep the smile off his face. When he finally convinced Voldemort to train him he had tried so hard to impress the man. He needed Voldemort to know that he was trying his best, that he was worth keeping around, and that he could even help the man one day. Oddly enough he enjoyed his life here, and he wanted to be  _wanted._ He didn't want to be held captive here because of the horcrux, he wanted The Dark Lord to  _want_ to keep him, and he wanted to be more than just a possession. He still had issues with fighting against The Order, but he still yearned to be useful in the war as something other than a poster boy, something other than The Boy Who Lived.

Voldemort was impressed with the boy's actions in the battle. Harry had disarmed Dumbledore of the most powerful wand in existence and then ended him. Sure, Voldemort had also casted the final Killing Curse, but Harry had been half of it. He had helped, and that was all he really ever wanted to do in the war. He didn't want to be the center of attention, he didn't want to be put on a pedestal, and if he was truly honest with himself, all he really wanted was to end Dumbledore's power. He and Voldemort had wanted retribution, and they both achieved it, together.

"What are you thinking?" Voldemort asked as Harry's eyes had long ago lost their focus.

The man knew what he was thinking, as he constantly had access to Harry's mind, but the boy replied, "I was just thinking that, that for the first time in a long time, and even with all the crap that has happened to me, that I'm actually happy."


	34. Chapter 34

The Second Wizarding War had officially come to an end the night of the attack on Hogwarts. Dumbledore was dead and the few surviving Order members had disappeared, which left Voldemort and the Death Eaters to take full control of the Wizarding World.

Much had happened in the three weeks following the attack on the school. The first few days were surprisingly quiet aside from the feasts and parties the Death Eaters insisted on throwing, many of which lasted throughout the night. Voldemort insisted Harry attend at least a few of the celebrations and dragged the boy along to accompany him. He complained through the whole process, but if Harry was honest with himself he was slightly excited about attending. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of Voldemort's manor, but there was a part of him that wanted to join in the Death Eater's revelry. He knew they had accomplished something great and wanted to experience the joy of the celebrations. The festivities soon ended though as Voldemort was more than ready to set his changes and plans into place.

The Death Eaters previously placed among the departments in the Ministry of Magic had taken command, ridding their individual departments of those who would likely become a problem in the future and filling the positions with those loyal to The Dark Lord. Minister of Magic Fudge had mysteriously 'disappeared' shortly after the battle, and with the Death Eaters controlling the Ministry there had been no official searches to locate him. Voldemort himself took over as Minister and became the governing leader of the Wizarding World. He controlled the government in all aspects, and there wasn't a force strong enough to even begin to try to prevent his new-found power.

Both Harry and Draco had received recognition in the war for their influential assistance in gaining access to Hogwarts, and Harry was now widely considered a hero for his acts during the battle inside the castle. While Voldemort focused his initial efforts in gaining control of the Ministry, Hogwarts remained open to any student who wished to stay. Countless students and professors had been harmed or killed in the battle, but those who remained were left to the task of picking up the pieces of the broken school. Some professors left while others remained to continue teaching and assisting in the aftermath, but Death Eaters were positioned inside the school to thwart any Order resurgence.

Harry kept tabs on which Order members the Death Eaters had encountered in their hunt, but in the first few weeks following the battle he never heard the names of those closest to him. He did learn that the entire Weasley family was on the run and last seen in a far corner of Romania. Harry didn't share his information, but he assumed they were there to find Ron's brother, Charlie, before disappearing completely. During one of the many times Harry and Draco were forced to interact during the war celebrations Harry had asked the Malfoy heir, who continued to study at Hogwarts, if he had heard of Hermione's whereabouts. Apparently she and her parents were now on the run as well. It was odd for Harry to celebrate among the very people hunting The Order because, to an extent, he felt like he had abandoned those closest to him. No matter his choices he still very much cared for them and wished them safety, but he knew the likelihood of ever seeing his friends again was slim.

The majority of the remaining Order members disappeared and Voldemort had sent some of his followers to locate them. Thanks to Harry the Death Eaters were instructed not to mortally harm anyone they found, but instead were to capture them and return as quickly as possible. It took much begging, but Harry had convinced Voldemort to allow any found Order members the opportunity to change allegiance and serve The Dark Lord in some capacity. He knew it wasn't likely they would accept Voldemort's proposal, but Harry knew it was better than allowing the Death Eaters to ruthlessly kill all those found. Severus Snape had disappeared during the battle, and Voldemort soon established a specialized group of Death Eaters to track the man down. The Dark Lord didn't take kindly to traitors, therefore when Harry heard that the hook-nosed man had been found and returned he asked Voldemort what had occurred.

"I have taken care of Severus," the man had simply said. "Do not worry over it."

Harry had hardly considered that an answer and continued to question Voldemort about what had happened, but never received an explanation. Eventually Harry assumed Snape dead and tried not to think too hard on the various torture methods Voldemort had practiced on the man before his death. Although Voldemort never showed nor commented on it, Harry knew the man had been surprised at Snape's betrayal. Severus Snape had been one of Voldemort's leading men since the First Wizarding War, and Harry knew Voldemort had since been replaying and questioning every interaction the two men had had over the years.

Over the next few months Voldemort had eagerly and not-so-subtly hinted that he wished to visit the Dursleys soon. Now that he had taken care of Dumbledore and The Order, Harry knew The Dark Lord was anxious to continue his pursuit of retribution. Though slightly hesitant- not that he would ever inform Voldemort of that- Harry agreed that it was time to revisit his family and prepared travel to Little Whinging the next day.

Harry was awoken early the next morning by a cold nose pushing against his face.

' _Snakeling, wake up. Wake up!'_

"Mmhh…"

' _Snakeling, Nagini says it's time to get up.'_

' _Go away…'_ he mumbled into the pillow,  _'And stop poking me.'_

It wasn't until he felt the snake trying to wedge herself under his body that he lifted his head.

' _What do you want?!'_

' _Master told Nagini to make sure that Snakeling was out of bed and reading a letter.'_

' _What?'_ he said groggily. _'Reading a letter?'_

' _Yes.'_

Harry stared at the snake, confused. It was much too early for this.

' _Ok, fine. I'm up.'_

He pushed himself up and threw his feet over the side of the bed. He padded the nightstand with his hand before finding his glasses and putting them on. He immediately saw a note on the bedside table and assumed it was what Nagini had been pestering him about.

_Harry,_

_I must attend to something but I will return shortly. Be dressed and have eaten by the time I return._

_\- Lord Voldemort_

The boy crumpled the parchment in his hands and threw it to the floor before hauling himself up from the bed. Yawning, he found a pair of clean robes and made his way to the bathroom.

He didn't know what to expect when they reached the Dursleys as he hadn't seen them in almost a year, but memories of the dementor attack filled his mind. It seemed so long ago that Dudley and his friends had been attacked at the playground. Harry had tried to intervene but failed miserably, only to be rescued himself by the one person he least expected.

He could practically hear the raspy sounds of the dementors edging into his memories, breathing roughly into his ear. He quickly tried to shake the thoughts from his mind and almost yelped when he heard something hit against the bathroom door. He froze and heard it again, instinctively reaching for the wand he had left in the other room. It was a muffled sound, but something was most certainly trying to make its way through the door.

' _Snakeling! Snakeling when are you coming out?'_

Harry's body relaxed at the familiar, albeit annoying, voice.

' _Nagini, leave me alone. I'll come out when I'm done.'_

' _Snakeling is done then!'_

He snapped angrily, _'I am not done yet! Go away!'_

He heard the noise again, but now recognized it as the snake trying to nose her way through the door.

_Sweet Salazar, is it too early to find the firewhiskey?_

With the destruction of the damaged horcrux, Nagini had quickly recovered and soon returned to her old frustrating self. There had been peace between her and Harry the first few days she was well, but it didn't take long for the two to begin their usual bickering and Harry soon yearned for the peace and quiet once again.

He ran his hands through his hair as he exited the bathroom, trying in vain to get his unruly hair to stay in place, and almost tripped over the overgrown snake.

' _What do you want?'_

' _Is Master and snakeling going somewhere?'_

' _None of your business,'_ Harry hissed back sharply.

The creature was immediately offended,  _'Where is snakeling going? Snakeling will tell Nagini!'_

Harry ignored her completely and called for Tibby. Remembering Voldemort's command to be ready when he returned, he asked for a simple and quick breakfast of toast and marmalade.

Nagini questioned him unsuccessfully for the next few minutes before finally giving up. She was muttering angrily to herself in the corner as the boy stared out the window deliberately, refusing to acknowledge her presence as he ate.

The door opened and Voldemort could immediately sense the tension in the room, "Again? Already? The sun is hardly up."

"It's not my fault."

' _Master! Do you know snakeling is leaving? Where is he going? Snakeling refuses to tell Nagini.'_

Voldemort looked at Harry unamused, "You couldn't have just told her?"

"I told her it was none of her business."

"Harry, stop. It's too early in the day for this, we have too much to do."

"What? I didn't do anything," he said with wide-eyed innocence.

Voldemort looked to his familiar and said,  _'Yes, I know snakeli- I mean Harry is leaving, he is coming with me.'_

' _Where is Master and snakeling going?'_

' _You're coming with us so you will see.'_

"What?!" Harry said, "No please don't let her come! She's annoying as hell."

Voldemort barely glanced over to the boy when he said, "Enough, Harry."

His mouth dropped, "Aren't parents not supposed to have favorites?"

"She is not my favorite, you both annoy me equally," Voldemort replied, not failing to notice Harry's inadvertent use of the title 'parent'.

Harry rolled his eyes and looked back out the window as he finished off the last of his breakfast.

' _We are going to visit Harry's family,'_ Voldemort informed.

' _Do snakeling's family live in the rainforest too?'_

Harry almost choked on his toast, "What?! The rainforest?"

"She's a snake, Harry, that's how she thinks.  _No, not in the rainforest.'_ Voldemort answered, switching to Parseltongue midsentence. He looked to Harry, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

"Good, let's be on our way then."

Voldemort hauled Nagini to his shoulders and stepped over to the boy, gripping his arm tightly. They disapparated immediately and appeared with a crack in a familiar neighborhood.

Harry looked around and was hit with a sense of déjà vu. It was as if nothing had changed in the little neighborhood he had once called home. They had appeared on the sidewalk in front of a long row of houses only a couple blocks away from the Dursley's home.

"Come along."

Harry blinked out of his reverie and realized Voldemort was already striding down the sidewalk with Nagini still around his shoulders. He jogged to catch up and fell into pace with the older man. He wondered about the odd picture they made in the Muggle world- and a boy who disappeared and went unseen for a year walking alongside an abnormally pale and noseless man carrying a massive snake.

"They can't see us," Voldemort stated, acknowledging the boy's unspoken thoughts.

"Oh, right. Magic."

They turned a corner and Harry saw for the first time in quite a while the house he considered to be more of a prison than a home. It looked ordinary, no different from any of the other houses on the street, but Harry still felt unsettled as they approached. He almost dreaded walking back inside those doors.

They stopped a little ways away from the house and Voldemort bent down to allow Nagini to slide off his shoulders. He stood back to his full height and looked to the boy beside him.

"You look terrified."

"I am not terrified!"

"Harry, a few weeks ago you helped defeat one of the most powerful wizards alive, you most certainly can do this."

He must truly have looked uncomfortable, for Harry was unaccustomed to such outright support. The man spent too much time nitpicking him for Harry's liking.

Harry looked back at the house, "Yeah, I know."

"You don't have to do anything if you don't want. I'd be more than glad to do it."

With a smirk Harry said, "And let you get all the glory? I don't think so. I helped with Dumbledore and I'm going to help with this."

Although the scars lingered on his skin, Harry hadn't thought of Vernon's abuse in some time. He remembered lying in bed most nights and willing the tears away, trying to stay silent so that his uncle wouldn't come back into his room to shut him up. He had never forgotten when the Dursley's had taken his wand and left him a defenseless little boy, completely powerless as he was thrown roughly against walls and furniture.

He recalled his Aunt Petunia watching her husband scream at him. Harry would beg for help as she stood a silent witness, completely unwilling to stop her husband and put an end to the abuse. She neglected Harry, neglected to stand up to her family as she watched them berate the boy. She stood by and did nothing to help her sister's only son.

Voldemort watched as the memories ran through Harry's mind and actually pitied the boy, for if there was someone who understood abuse and neglect it was Tom Riddle.

Harry felt something move against his leg and looked down to see Nagini entwining herself around his feet, her tongue working in and out of her mouth quickly.

' _Snakeling smells scared.'_

For Merlin's sake he was not scared!

' _Do not worry, snakeling. Nagini and Master will protect you.'_

Harry was caught between wanting to roll his eyes and actually feeling touched.

Voldemort smirked at the boy's thoughts and put a hand on Harry's shoulder for a moment before turning toward the house. Harry jolted when the front door was blown from its hinges with complete silence; he assumed Voldemort had cast a silencing charm.

The Dark Lord stepped through the front door of the Dursley's home with Nagini slithering in behind him and Harry following closely after.

The moment Harry stepped inside the house he felt as if nothing had changed. He was forced to remind himself that he was older, stronger, and more powerful. His wand was no longer locked away and his magic was far more advanced. He was not the scared defenseless boy he was a year ago.

Not to mention he had two of the strangest, albeit deadliest, companions with him this time.

Harry was barely through the door when he heard the first scream. His aunt Petunia was standing frozen in the hallway with both her eyes and mouth comically wide. Harry was shocked at her appearance, as the woman he had once known was no more. Her usual tidy appearance was gone and had been replaced by slightly rumpled clothes and there were lines on her face that Harry hadn't remembered being there before. She had slightly graying hair that, while pulled back into a ponytail, frizzed out at all angles. She looked as if she had aged ten years in just one.

Nagini made a short lunge toward the woman and struck out with a sharp hiss. Petunia's small frame jolted with such intensity that she almost fell over as she quickly retreated back down the hallway toward the kitchen.

Harry heard Vernon coming long before he actually saw the man. It was obvious the great whale hadn't lost any weight in the time since Harry had last seen him. Vernon Dursley appeared at the top of the stairs looking quite aggravated, likely thinking his wife's scream was because of something mundane such as a mouse scurrying quickly across the kitchen floor. Instead, he was met with a sight he never thought he'd see again, Harry Potter.

Unable to see Voldemort or Nagini from where he stood at the top of the stairs, a fire lit behind the man's eyes.

"What in the bloody fuck are you doing here?"

Harry took an instinctive step backward. Even after all this time there was still a significant part of him that wanted to flinch when he saw his uncle angry.  _He can't hurt me now, there's no way he can hurt me now,_ the boy reminded himself.

"I've come back for a visit."

"Well you're most certainly not welcome in this house, not after what happened. Get out!"

When Harry showed no signs of movement, Vernon started to make his way down the stairs, "I said get out, boy!"

"No."

The refusal made Vernon freeze, "Ah, I see. Gotten a bit big for your britches have you?"

Harry didn't reply. He had imagined this moment so many times and yet here he stood silently, the needed words simply not coming.

"Get out of my house you worthless boy. You and your fanatical magic are unwanted!"

_Harry…_

Upon hearing his voice, Harry looked to Voldemort for the first time since his uncle had appeared. The man had obviously cast a silencing charm on Petunia, for her mouth was open in a silent scream and she looked unable to move from her place in the hallway.

"It's fine. I've got it."

"What? Who the bloody hell are you talking to? I've had enough of this," Vernon said as he continued once again down the stairs. "I'll throw you out myself."

_You're not unwanted._

The shared thought had hardly entered Harry's mind before Voldemort stepped forward and finally into Vernon's line of sight.

"I believe I've heard enough," Voldemort's voice showed neither anger nor apprehension; it was as silky and calm as always.

"Wha- what the- wh-"

Vernon stumbled slightly over the steps as he instinctively backed away from The Dark Lord. Harry felt a rush of confidence and couldn't help but smirk at the sight.

"Oh yeah, I made some friends while I was away," the boy said.  _'Nagini, come here.'_

The monstrous snake who Harry himself had once been terrified of slid heavily across the wooden floor.

"Oh m… oh my god," Vernon sputtered before he spun around. He hadn't taken two steps up before Voldemort's wand was trained on him, turning him back toward them and freezing him in place much like his wife.

Voldemort spoke, "I quite loathe journeying into the Muggle world, so I'm sure even you can deduce that this is a particularly important visit."

"Wh- who are you?"

"He's The Dark Lord," Harry piped in. "He rules over the Wizarding World. He's my guardian now and he's not too happy about what you've done to me."

_You're being awfully cheeky._

Harry smiled and continued, "Oh, and this is his pet snake."

_Oh she'd be furious if she heard you call her my 'pet'._

_I think you're having just as much fun with this as I am,_ Harry replied before Vernon's voice broke through.

"I- I don't know what you're talking about!"

Harry's face fell, "Excuse me?"

"He's lying! I never touched him! Not once I did!"

A fury like none he had ever felt before rose in Harry's chest and before he knew what he was doing his wand was directed at his uncle. He wasn't entirely certain what spell he cast, but watched as his uncle, still frozen to the steps, screamed in agony.

"SHUT UP!" He lifted the spell. "How dare you!"

He was enraged, how could the man even have the nerve to plead innocence? Harry could hardly stand still as every nerve in his body screamed at him to strangle Vernon Dursley with his bare hands.

Sensing the sudden change in mood, Nagini reared back and lifted her head into the air, putting her at an equal height with Harry.

"Say one more thing like that and you'll be lucky if you live another minute," Harry said.

"Someone will come, someone will hear!"

"I can assure you none of your neighbors will be able to hear you scream, nor will-"

"The police will find us. They will come!"

The Dark Lord chuckled lightly, "Harry you never told me your uncle was so humorous. I assure that you should be less worried about your innocence and more concerned with pleading for your life, Mr. Dursley."

"We did nothing wrong, nothing out of the ordinary! He was a troublesome boy from the start and he had to be punished, that was all. I did nothing any other parent would hesitate to do!"

"Yes because all parents lock their children in closets," Voldemort remarked.

"It was- he was- he was trouble! Always doing something wrong, never listening, he deserved much more than he got. He's damn lucky he never came back after what happened."

Harry spoke again, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play me for a fool, boy."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Dudley is what I'm talking about!" the man practically snarled.

"What?"

"You bloody well killed my son and you're lucky you ran off after! I would've whipped you within an inch of your life and-"

Harry froze, "I didn't touch Dudley!"

"Like hell you didn't! You and that magic! Trouble from the start I say! Your whole family is ridden with it. Do you know how long they questioned us? What you did to those other boys? To their parents? And yet you had the nerve to come back here," Vernon spat.

"I tried to save him! I didn't touch him- I tried to help them," Harry hotly defended.

"Had I known… magic! Of all the things! My own son-" Vernon was rambling now, completely oblivious to Harry's protests. " _A gift_ the letter had said, HA! A gift! A gift for trouble is what it is!"

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH. I've had enough of everything! I'm tired of it! I won't listen anymore!" Harry was shouting now. "I no longer have to listen to you, no longer have to bend to your every need. You can't touch me anymore, but I can touch you," he threatened. "You're under my control now, Uncle Vernon. I could lock you in a dungeon to rot for the rest of your existence if I so chose. I could force you to jump from the highest place in this town and laugh as your fat body fell to the ground. For the first time in my life I have the control over you, and believe me I am going to enjoy it."

And in that moment, unknown to anyone in the neighborhood, the first of many screams to come echoed throughout the house.

It was almost a half an hour later when Harry finally stopped. He had lost track of what curses he had used or the number of spells which had come from his wand but Merlin had he enjoyed it. He leaned heavily against the wall to rest as he lifted the last curse.

"Are you finally finished?" Voldemort drawled unenthusiastically, but when Harry looked to the man he was met with one of The Dark Lord's characteristic smirks.

Harry sighed deeply and tried to calm his breathing, "I think he's had enough, don't you?"

"I'm more worried about you than him."

"Oh I'm fine, just tired."

Harry looked down to the floor where Vernon lay sobbing in a shaking heap. While not grotesque, there was blood was splattered across the foyer.

' _Snakeling is scary when he's angry,'_ Nagini hissed beside them.

' _Yes, he is. He's impressive.'_

' _He's such a small snakeling though. He doesn't scare me.'_

' _I'm not that small you overgrown monster.'_

' _Stop picking on him, he will get bigger before long.'_

The boy silently wished for that day to come sooner, he had never enjoyed being so small. He glanced down the hall and saw his aunt on the floor with her knees pulled to her chest, hands covering her ears.

' _What are we going to do with her?'_ Harry questioned in Parseltongue so as to keep his trembling aunt unaware.

' _It is up to you.'_

' _I can eat her!' Nagini chimed in eagerly._

Harry's stomach turned at the thought. He contemplated a moment before pushing off the wall and making his way toward Petunia. He looked down upon her pitiful form.

"Aunt Petunia," he said, and even though he said it quietly the woman still jolted. She looked up and her eyes quickly darted to the wand in his hand.

Harry studied her for a moment before speaking, "I'm sorry about what happened to Dudley."

Immediately the graying woman's eyes filled with tears, but she stayed silent.

"I did try to save him you know. I did try. After everything he did to me I still tried to save him, and yet for eleven years you stood by and didn't try to save me," he let the words sink in. "You watched. You just stood by and watched. You could've tried to stop it."

"I did…"

Harry was momentarily shocked. Through her fear he hadn't expected her to speak to him at all, let alone deny her negligence.

She continued shakily, "I did try."

"Not hard enough," he said, refusing to be swayed by the poor woman's words. He pitied her, yes, but he knew long ago that he would never forgive her.

"I knew you didn't hurt Dud-Dudley," her voice cracked. "I'm not surprised you tried to help him, you're too much like your mother."

A lump immediately formed in Harry's throat.

_You're too much like your mother._

He swallowed thickly and turned away from his aunt, walking straight to the man moaning on the floor, ready to end this.

He knelt down beside his uncle and quietly said, "You made my life a living hell. You are one of two people who I have truly hated in this world and do you wanna know what happened to the other person? I killed him," And even though he knew deep down that his parents would be disappointed, Harry continued, "And I am going to kill you now too."

He stood and pointed his wand at his uncle, who gave no indication he had even heard Harry's speech.

"Say hello to Dumbledore for me."

A green light filled the room and Vernon Dursley was immediately dead.

Almost indifferently, Harry turned away from the limp body, for he truly couldn't bring himself to care any longer. He knew he had to let the past go in order to move on, and Merlin knew he was more than ready for just that.

Voldemort was no longer relaxing against the doorframe but was now watching interestedly as his protégé killed for only the second time.

Harry walked over to him and with a glance to his Aunt Petunia said, "I can't hurt her."

Voldemort looked over to the woman but didn't reply.

"I was going to let her live, but I think it might be more merciful to kill her at this point. What do you think?"

"You're asking The Dark Lord about mercy?"

"Yeah, I guess so. She doesn't have anything left anyway."

"If it were up to me I'd send her to Azkaban," Voldemort said.

"You're not being very helpful."

"Well it sounds as though you've already made your choice."

Harry watched as his aunt held her head in her hands as she cried. If Harry felt any remorse it was more for Petunia and her son, the boy he failed to save, but remorse didn't equal forgiveness.

"Can you just do it for me? I'm ready to go home."

"Oh if I must," Voldemort replied with a dramatic sigh.

"Make it quick and don't have too much fun," Harry said with a smirk, knowing full well Voldemort would torture the poor woman for hours if left alone.

"Now I'm going to have to torture one of my Death Eaters when we get home to get it out of my system."

Harry chuckled as he made his way toward the front door. He was more than ready to leave this part of his life behind him and didn't look back as he exited.

Harry Potter wanted nothing more than to go back to Voldemort's manor and forget everything and everyone who had hurt him in his short but miserable life, but he knew this would never be the case. He would never be able to forget the first twelve years of his life spent in misery and captivity. He felt nothing like the boy he was only a year ago, and even though he had no idea what was ahead he was more than ready to move on. He understood that he may never return to the Muggle world, and that there was a possibility that he would never see his friends again, may never be forgiven by them. He didn't know if Voldemort intended to continue to teach him or if he would end up enrolled back in school. Would it be Hogwarts or somewhere else? Would he find himself working an ordinary job or in the Ministry under Voldemort? Now that he had renounced the Light, did that mean he was to become a Death Eater? Or maybe even a part of Voldemort's Inner Circle? Harry smiled as Nagini passed him, hissing happily to herself, and understood that these were all questions to be answered at another time.

He had no idea what lie ahead, but one thing he did know was that Harry Potter was finally free of The Boy Who Lived.

And for that he was grateful.

**The End.**

A/N: Stay tuned for the epilogue =)


	35. Epilogue

_19 Years Later_

"Why don't you go over there and speak with her?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Why not? She's plenty attractive."

"Would you please stop?"

"Absolutely not."

Harry gritted his teeth as he looked away from his mentor and was relieved to see Draco Malfoy striding towards him through the crowd.

"Minister," the blonde man said with a slight bow to Voldemort before doing the same to Harry. "My Lord."

Voldemort spoke first, "Draco, welcome, glad you could come."

"Oh of course, Sir. I wouldn't miss this for anything," he said with a hardly contained smirk, knowing how much Harry hated being the center of attention at these types of gatherings.

"So are you still liking the teaching position at Hogwarts?"

"It's going quite well as always, Sir, I have no complaints."

"And how is Alecto performing as Headmistress? Satisfactory, I presume?"

"Yes, My Lord, very much so. If I may be candid, she's quite an improvement from Rowle."

Voldemort chuckled lightly, "Oh I have no doubt, he certainly turned that place upside down in a hurry, and not for the better might I add."

"Also, the training program you set in place to train the students as future Ministry officials is going particularly well."

"Glad to hear it," Voldemort said distractedly as something across the room caught his eye. "Pardon me for a moment, gentlemen."

Voldemort made his way towards a graying Peter Pettigrew and Harry watched as The Dark Lord berated the poor man for what Harry could only assume was one faux pas or another.

"Happy birthday, My Lord."

Harry turned back to his companion, "You know you don't have to call me that when no one's around. Thank you for coming, Draco."

"Of course, My Lord," Draco said, ignoring the instruction as he always did. "I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with The Dark Lord, but it did look as though you were in desperate need of some help."

"You cannot imagine. That man is hell bent on marrying me off."

"Ah, I see."

"I don't know who drives me more mad, he or Nagini."

Draco cleared his throat, instantly uncomfortable at the mention of the overgrown snake. With the way her beady eyes watched him during Inner Circle meetings, he was certain she visualized him to be the perfect snack. He had seen her finish off enough human bodies to last him a lifetime.

"I, um, I haven't seen her in a while."

"Who? Nagini? Oh she actually just had a litter of eggs, she's been resting and attending to them for the past couple of days."

"She- she had babies?"

Harry smirked at Draco's discomfort, "Yes, but they haven't hatched so you have nothing to fear… yet."

"Oh, I wasn't- I didn't mean…" Draco let his words trail off at the thought of even more snakes roaming around the manor.

Moments passed in silence as Harry swirled his glass of firewhiskey and watched the other guests converse, "So how's your father doing?"

Draco was pulled from his thoughts, "Oh, he and Mother are perfectly content. They live on the outskirts of Ireland now. He goes on raids on occasion, as you well know, but I believe he was rather relieved when you took over as The Dark Lord's right-hand man."

"I don't doubt it," Harry watched as Death Eaters parted and allowed their Lord to pass. "Oh Merlin, here he comes again."

"One day I will feed that man to Nagini, I swear on it," Voldemort said and watched amusedly as Draco's face paled. "Now, where were we?"

"Well, your protégé was telling me of your desire to see him married."

Harry almost choked on his drink and when he recovered he eyed Draco crossly.

"Ah yes, it certainly is a concern of mine. How is married life treating you?"

"Oh excellent, My Lord. Astoria and I are quite happy."

"Hm, see Harry? Marriage isn't all hassle and responsibility."

Through gritted teeth Harry said, "I simply think it would take away from my duties in the Ministry."

"Nonsense. I still believe keeping you out of school and training you myself did you a disservice when it comes to the fairer sex," Voldemort turned to Draco. "I swear he's terrified to speak to women."

Harry wanted to melt through the floor as he watched Draco struggle to control his laughter.

"Ok, I'm done. Goodnight, Draco," Harry said as he slammed his glass down harshly. He quickly stood and made his way out of the hall, weaving through the party goers as he went.

He marched up the stairs and instead of turning into Voldemort's rooms as he had done so many years ago he walked further down the hallway to his own quarters. He flopped down onto the leather couch, thoroughly relieved to be away from the masses of well wishers. Although he had grown accustomed to the numerous gatherings over the years, Harry much preferred when the Death Eaters were absent from the manor. He closed his eyes but it didn't take long before he heard the doorknob turn.

"Was it really necessary to storm out of the room?"

Harry opened his eyes, "Yes, it was. Do you always have to do that? Can't you just leave it alone?"

"No, I cannot," Voldemort said.

"Why the bloody hell not?"

The Dark Lord was now standing beside the couch, "Because I think it would make you happy."

"I'm happy where I am now."

"I think being married would make you happier."

"Well I don't," Harry snapped. "I'm 32 years old, Voldemort, I can make my own choices. I'm not a little boy you can boss around."

"Nonsense, you're still my little snake," he teased.

"I'm serious."

A few moments passed before Voldemort motioned for Harry to move his legs and took a seat on the couch.

"I know," The Dark Lord acknowledged. "I'm aware you are not a child. If you insist on this, then I'll let it be for now."

"Thank you."

"For now."

Harry sighed and leaned his head back and closed his eyes once again.

"Since we're already away from the others, I suppose now is as good a time as any. I have a gift for you if you're not too distraught by my actions to accept it," Voldemort said with his classic sarcasm that few aside from Harry ever got to hear.

Harry raised his head, "Yeah?"

"Yes," Voldemort waved his hand and a small lidless box appeared in the palm of his hand. "Happy birthday, Harry."

Harry sat up and took the box from the man and peered inside. A pair of shining green eyes looked up at him.

"What? I didn't think they had hatched yet?"

"They did this morning."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry demanded as he stared at the little creature.

"Why ruin the surprise?"

Harry was shocked at the size of the little black snake, "It's so small."

"It'll grow."

' _Master?'_ a small high pitched voice hissed as he raised his tiny head curiously towards Harry.

"I chose this one especially for you. It's the strongest of the group, and I couldn't ignore the resemblance in eye color."

Voldemort was right, the bright green eyes that blinked up at Harry were the same color as his own, not to mention the black scales which much resembled his still unruly hair. He extended his index finger and slowly brushed it along the dark black scales, careful not to startle the creature.

"I know you were upset when Hedwig died, so I thought you may appreciate a new familiar."

"And you thought a snake would be my preference?"

"Well, that may have been  _partly_  my own choosing."

Harry smirked at the man before slowly sliding the dark creature from its box to rest on his palm.

"Thank you very much."

"Don't thank me yet, this one is quite talkative."

"Well it did come from Nagini, so I'm not surprised in the least. Where is she anyway?"

"Resting in my chambers with the others."

Harry stood, "Let's go see them."

As they made their way back down the hall Harry held his new companion closely to his chest. The little snake was so tiny he was half afraid he'd harm it by accident.

Nagini and about ten other much smaller snakes were lying by the fire. She had her long thick body wrapped protectively around them and the size difference was almost amusing.

' _Hello, Snakeling!'_

' _Hello, Nagini. How are you feeling?'_ Harry asked as he kneeled down beside her.

' _Nagini is feeling better than earlier.'_

' _Good. So Voldemort said this little one is going to be my new companion, like Hedwig was.'_

' _Nagini doesn't miss that bird.'_

' _I know you don't.'_

' _Bird looked tasty but Nagini wasn't allowed to eat it.'_

' _I know I know, but is it okay with you if I keep one of your babies? Like Voldemort keeps you?'_

"Careful, Harry. You know she doesn't like being referred to as a pet."

' _Of course! Nagini wants Master's snakeling to have Nagini's hatchling!'_

' _For the thousandth time, I am not his snakeling.'_

' _Yes you are.'_

Harry huffed agitatedly as he heard Voldemort chuckle from behind him. He ignored the man and continued,  _'Well is this little one a boy or a girl?'_ He asked as he held the tiny black snake up.

' _He's a boy of course! Doesn't snakeling have eyes?'_

Harry shook his head, "How come I keep getting picked on today? I feel like I'm thirteen again."

"Some things will never change, little one."

Harry gently placed his new companion with the other tiny snakes and stood.

It wasn't long before the little black snake with the green eyes grew in size and began tagging along with Harry wherever he went, following him hopelessly around as Harry had once followed Voldemort as a young boy, one never too far from the other. The snake was in awe of the powerful wizard he now called Master.

The snake was not the only one who marveled at Voldemort's liege. Once he became of appropriate age, Harry began working under Voldemort within the Ministry of Magic. Although he grew more accustomed to Voldemort's sadistic methods, Harry never agreed with the man's brash approach to non-Purebloods. After many heated arguments, Harry and Voldemort had compromised on how to appropriately handle the Muggle and Muggle-born populations. Harry became the head of the Department of Muggle and Muggle-born Control, one of the numerous new departments within the Ministry of Magic. Harry now oversaw the control of, as opposed to the extinction of, the Muggle-born population. He was also in charge of assuring the obliviation of any Muggles who became aware of the Wizarding World.

It wasn't long after Voldemort had conceded and created this new department that he began to persuade Harry in another area. Harry had been surprised when the man brought up the idea of Harry creating his own horcrux. Immortality was something Harry had never considered, and although he knew it would be many years before he acted upon it, if he ever did, he was touched at Voldemort's unconventional show of affection. He knew the man cared for him, but the simple idea that Voldemort wished for Harry to evade death touched him in a way that affectionate physical gestures could not.

As per the redheaded boy's request, Harry never did see Ron again after the Battle of Hogwarts. It was about five years after the battle that Harry received a letter from the boy who had once been his best friend. Although Voldemort didn't approve, Harry and Ron kept up correspondence with one another over the years. Harry knew Ron would never fully forgive him for betraying Dumbledore and The Order, but Harry was thankful to have his friend in his life, even if only through the occasional post. Although he never laid eyes on Ron again aside from family portraits in yearly Christmas cards, Harry had seen Hermione a handful of times. He was about fifteen at the time he received the girl's first request, and after enduring much whining Voldemort had reluctantly agreed to allow Harry to meet Hermione. Under the guise of polyjuice potion, The Dark Lord had accompanied Harry into Hogsmeade to meet the girl. Voldemort kept a watchful eye as the two teenagers eagerly embraced and spoke as if little had changed. Hermione was good like that, never too judgmental and always understanding, and Harry couldn't have been more grateful. Feeling particularly pleasant after the success of a significant raid, Voldemort had even allowed her to join them for Christmas one year.

Harry Potter had grown into exactly what Voldemort had molded him to be, a successfully talented and influential wizard far above any of those around him. Although he didn't relish in the power as Voldemort did, Harry had authority and status both within and outside of the Wizarding government which was rivaled only by The Dark Lord himself. As Voldemort's most trusted he had established loyalty, and had he desired he could have rebelled against The Dark Lord and torn the Wizarding World in two. But Harry Potter had never forgotten The Boy Who Lived and never once wanted to willingly return to a life where the masses were dependant on him. He had fought and won against that existence many years ago and had no desire to ever return. Harry was more than happy with his role in Voldemort's shadow, and all was well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow. What a bittersweet moment this is. I am more than honored to have had you all as readers, and my gratefulness of your views, favorites, follows, kudos, comments, and reviews knows no bounds. Although I had always planned on finishing this story with an epilogue which took place in the future, there is a part of me which wants to continue to explore these characters as Harry grows through his teenage years and into young adulthood. I have ideas, but there are these pesky things called 'plot' and 'free time' that are evading me at the moment. I find it difficult to leave these characters behind (as oddly enough I feel as if they are my own, and not borrowed from the Great J.K. Rowling), so if I ever do capture the elusive plot and free time I will update this story with a link to the next part of this series. Therefore, I would recommend keeping this on your alerts list if you wish to hear more from these characters. Once again, it was an absolute blast writing this story.
> 
> Thank you all very, very much.


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